[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 9 (Tuesday, January 20, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E83-E84]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING DAVID R. SHEDD

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. DEVIN NUNES

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 20, 2015

  Mr. NUNES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate and pay tribute 
to David R. Shedd, one of the premier leaders of our nation's 
intelligence community. Mr. Shedd was named Acting Director of the 
Defense Intelligence Agency in August 2014, following four

[[Page E84]]

years of service as the Deputy Director. He leads the Defense 
Intelligence Enterprise workforce, which comprises more than 16,500 
military and civilian employees worldwide. Mr. Shedd retires on January 
23, 2015, with 32 years of honorable service. Throughout his 
distinguished career, Mr. Shedd has displayed remarkable vision, 
leadership, and an unwavering commitment to our nation's security that 
are worthy of our recognition.
  A driving force in the intelligence community, Mr. Shedd initiated 
necessary improvements to information sharing and intelligence 
integration, better preparing the IC as a whole to confront national 
security threats. From May 2007 to August 2010, Mr. Shedd served as the 
Director of National Intelligence Deputy for Policy, Plans, and 
Requirements, where he was responsible for overseeing the formulation 
and implementation of major IC policies across the full spectrum of 
issues, from information sharing and IC authorities to analytic 
standards, among others. In particular, he led the review of Executive 
Order 12333, the foundational U.S. intelligence policy, which was 
revised by President George W. Bush in July 2008. Additionally, Mr. 
Shedd developed and implemented a National Intelligence Strategy for 
the IC that was published in August 2009, and led all strategic 
planning efforts to determine future intelligence priorities for the 
Community and the nation. In all these positions, Mr. Shedd was at the 
forefront of our nation's most critical intelligence reforms during a 
crucial point in our history.
  From May 2005 to April 2007, Mr. Shedd served as Chief of Staff and 
later as Acting Director of the Intelligence Staff to the Director of 
National Intelligence. Prior to the creation of the Office of the 
Director of National Intelligence, Mr. Shedd held intelligence policy 
positions at the National Security Council from February 2001 to May 
2005. He served as the NSC's Special Assistant to the President and 
Senior Director for Intelligence Programs and Reform. Mr. Shedd has 
been directly involved in the implementation of intelligence reform 
stemming from the 9/11 Commission report in July 2004, the Intelligence 
Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, and the Weapons of Mass 
Destruction Commission's report to the President in March 2005.
  From 1984 to 1993, Mr. Shedd was posted overseas in U.S. Embassies in 
Costa Rica and Mexico. Mr. Shedd has also held various senior 
management assignments at the Central Intelligence Agency, including 
Chief of Congressional Liaison.
  Mr. Speaker, as the Acting Director of the Defense Intelligence 
Agency, Mr. Shedd provided vision and continuity at an important and 
transformational time in the Agency's history. He worked to strengthen 
integration and collaboration with the Combatant Commands, and to make 
DIA more flexible and responsive to intelligence requirements. DIA is 
more ready today than at any other time in its history to support our 
warfighters though expeditionary operations and robust reach-back 
support. Through his exceptional knowledge and superb communication 
skills, Mr. Shedd served as a critical bridge between the military 
intelligence community and its civilian overseers on time-sensitive 
intelligence issues. During this period of fiscal austerity, Mr. Shedd 
also addressed several significant issues concerning workforce shaping 
in order to better position DIA to be more relevant and mission 
capable. Of note, Mr. Shedd acted as an effective mentor for DIA's 
workforce, generously making himself available to the most junior 
employees and providing expert guidance, judgment, and counsel at every 
opportunity. Without question, the bedrock principles of placing people 
first and selfless service defined all of David Shedd's leadership 
decisions. He leaves behind a more innovative and collaborative DIA, 
one that will be ready to face our national security challenges and 
support its most important customers: the soldiers, sailors, airmen, 
Marines, and civilians who stand in harm's way around the world.
  Mr. Speaker, while the Intelligence Community will be losing a leader 
who has answered the call time and again at critical points in our 
nation's history, I know David will be happy to spend more time with 
his wife Lisa and their sons Jeremy and DJ, as well as DJ's wife Megan. 
Despite giving so much to the nation during his remarkable career, 
David always ensured that he was an exemplary husband and father as 
well as a devoted son. On behalf of a grateful nation and my colleagues 
in the U.S. Congress, I thank David and his family for his many years 
of faithful service and a job well done, and I wish him the very best 
of luck in his future endeavors as a teacher and speaker, and in his 
charitable endeavors that are so close to his heart.

                          ____________________