[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 82 (Tuesday, May 24, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E782]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




COMMENDING THE FBI'S KIRK YEAGER FOR BEING NOMINATED A FINALIST FOR THE 
             2016 SAMUEL J. HEYMAN SERVICE TO AMERICA MEDAL

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                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 24, 2016

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commend my constituent, Mr. Kirk 
Yeager, on his commitment to government service and his nomination as a 
finalist for the 2016 Samuel J. Heyman Service to American Medal.
  Service to America Medals, or Sammies as they've become known, are 
presented annually by the nonprofit, nonpartisan Partnership for Public 
Service to honor outstanding federal employees who have made 
significant contributions to our nation. In recognizing their 
achievements, we not only pay tribute to our dedicated federal 
workforce, but also promote a culture of innovation and achievement in 
our government.
  When there is a terrorist bombing or a new type of explosive poses a 
threat to the U.S., the FBI primarily turns to one man: Kirk Yeager. 
Kirk is the FBI's resident bomb expert; anything that deals with 
explosives that comes to the FBI, goes to Kirk.
  Yeager doesn't just respond to crises. In his daily work, he oversees 
the bureau's research focused on getting a better understanding of the 
explosives terrorists use. He also developed the FBI's advanced 
training material on terrorist explosives.
  As a chemist and an engineer, as well as one of the FBI's five senior 
laboratory scientists, Kirk has been studying bomb-making for more than 
20 years. His goal is to understand what ingredients are used, how 
bombs are made, and how they can be detected. He seeks to use this 
knowledge to trace devices to specific terrorist organizations or known 
bomb-makers around the world.
  As part of his work, he helped start a training program and developed 
information for bomb technicians across the country, including those 
employed by private companies. In one instance, the training materials 
helped a shipping company successfully stop a ``lone wolf'' plot, 
according to Kirk. He says his biggest challenge is trying to keep up 
with the evolving nature of the terrorist threat. He will continue to 
``reproduce everything that the bad guys do,'' he said, so he can save 
lives and ``make a difference and contribute to the broader 
community.''
  I would like to personally thank Kirk Yeager for his service to our 
country and for his tireless work to protect the people of the United 
States.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me once more in 
recognizing the tremendous contributions of Mr. Kirk Yeager. He is but 
one of many dedicated federal employees performing extraordinary work 
through the federal government in communities across America each and 
every day.

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