[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 75 (Thursday, May 12, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S2746]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO GENERAL JOHN F. CAMPBELL

 Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, today I wish to honor a strategic 
leader and exceptional warrior of tremendous talent. After a lifetime 
of distinguished service to our Nation, GEN John F. Campbell is 
retiring from the U.S. Army. On this occasion, I believe it is fitting 
to recognize General Campbell's decades of dedicated service to our 
Nation.
  General Campbell graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1979 and 
commissioned in the U.S. Army infantry. During his more than 37 years 
of service, he has commanded units at every echelon from platoon 
leader, to four-star command, and in places such as Haiti, Afghanistan, 
and Iraq.
  Upon promotion to brigadier general in 2005, he was assigned as the 
deputy commanding general for Maneuver, 1st Calvary Division, deployed 
to Baghdad, and is widely credited with holding together the force 
during a very violent period leading up to the surge. His following 
assignment was the deputy director for regional operations at the Joint 
Staff. After being promoted to major general, he was named commander of 
the Screaming Eagles, 101st Airborne Division, and deployed to 
Afghanistan as commander, Regional Command East, International Security 
Assistance Force, ISAF, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO, and 
commander, Combined Joint Task Force-101. He commanded of over 30,000 
coalition servicemembers and 65,000 Afghan National Defense and 
Security Forces. The scope of his responsibility included the 
protection of 13 million people and the security of a 450-mile border 
with Pakistan.
  At Fort Campbell, KY, General Campbell cultivated lasting 
relationships within the community to support soldiers, civilians, and 
families. He installed programs to facilitate a comprehensive fitness 
program, develop soldier and family resiliency, and significantly 
decrease the suicide rate. As lieutenant general, he became the Army 
Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans and Training. He was 
promoted to general and, in 2014, confirmed as the 34th U.S. Army Vice 
Chief of Staff, where he promoted the physical, moral, and mental 
fitness required for improved readiness and resilience. He was an 
advocate for stopping sexual harassment and assault and supported 
Wounded Warrior programs. He was vital in updating Congress on the 
Army's path ahead for these and other key issues. In addition, he 
coordinated a restructure of posts and stations that helped decrease 
17,500 personnel by fiscal year 2017 to meet mandated end strength 
goals.
  In 2014, General Campbell deployed to Afghanistan and took command of 
the NATO ISAF mission and United States Forces--Afghanistan. During his 
first 6 months, Afghanistan held an extended electoral process and 
installed a new President and Chief Executive as part of the National 
Unity Government. After this, General Campbell managed an over 90 
percent drawdown of U.S. forces and installations; he transitioned the 
force from regional commands to train, advise, and assist commands. He 
helped transition ISAF to a functionally based security force 
assistance mission designated Resolute Support and became commander of 
both Resolute Support and United States Forces--Afghanistan for the 
next 14 months. He served as adviser to the President of Afghanistan, 
the Ministers of Defense and Interior, and the National Director of 
Security. His influence during the era of the National Unity Government 
will have long lasting strategic impacts in Afghanistan and the region.
  General Campbell is well known for his strategic brilliance and calm 
fortitude. He is the embodiment of all the values we expect in our most 
revered leaders: the rare tenacity to accomplish impossible missions; 
the selfless commitment to country, soldier, and family; and the 
composition of character that demonstrates only the highest moral and 
ethical values. He is known for telling his soldiers, ``Leadership 
makes a difference,'' yet it is his exemplary leadership that had made 
a difference to countless thousands both abroad and at home.
  I thank his wife, Ann; his daughter, Jennifer; and his son, John, 
Jr., who is also serving in the Army, for their years of dedication and 
support. As the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and on 
behalf of those who serve beside me, let me express the deepest respect 
and gratitude to General Campbell for his remarkable service to our 
Nation. I wish you and your family all the best in beginning your new 
chapter of life together.

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