[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 112 (Tuesday, July 12, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4995-S4996]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 TRIBUTE TO GENERAL LLOYD J. AUSTIN III

  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, today I honor an exceptional military 
leader and warrior. After nearly 41 years--a lifetime of service to our 
Nation--GEN Lloyd J. Austin III retired from the U.S. Army, having 
served most recently as the commander of U.S. Central Command. On this 
occasion, I believe it is fitting to recognize General Austin's many 
years of uniformed service to our Nation.
  Over the course of his military career spanning more than four 
decades, General Austin took on many of the toughest assignments; he 
led troops in combat. Most recently, he served as the combined forces 
commander, overseeing the military campaign to defeat ISIL in Iraq and 
Syria. General Austin's stellar career was also filled with a number of 
firsts. He was the first African American to command an Army division 
in combat, the first to command an Army corps in combat, the first to 
command an entire theater of war, and the first African-American Vice 
Chief of Staff of the Army and commander of U.S. Central Command. But 
this quiet warrior does not focus on his own accomplishments, and he 
never takes his eyes away from the mission.
  General Austin is a soldier's soldier. He earned a well-deserved 
reputation as a leader others wanted to follow into battle. On many 
occasions, they did. Many soldiers have talked about General Austin's 
inspiring leadership, particularly under demanding conditions, 
including combat. He was gifted with

[[Page S4996]]

the ability to inspire confidence in his troops and young leaders. He 
always led them from the front, and he ensured they were successful in 
any and all endeavors. We saw this at the outset of the Iraq war in 
2003 when, as the assistant division commander for maneuver for the 3rd 
Infantry Division, he helped to spearhead the invasion, maneuvering the 
division from Kuwait to Baghdad in a record 22 days. We saw it in 
Afghanistan in 2003-2004, when he was the commander of Combined Joint 
Task Force-180. We saw it again in Iraq in 2008 when, as the commander 
of Multi-National Corps-Iraq during the period when the surge forces 
were drawing down, he helped to achieve greater stability in the 
country. We saw it once more in Iraq in 2010-2011 when, as commander of 
U.S. Forces-Iraq, he oversaw the successful completion of Operations 
Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn.
  In an age of tweets and blogs, General Austin never seeks the 
limelight, preferring to let his actions speak for themselves. He is a 
consummate professional, and our Nation and its Armed Services will 
feel the loss of this distinguished officer, gifted leader, and highly 
decorated warrior. I join my fellow members of the Senate Armed 
Services Committee in expressing my respect and gratitude to GEN Lloyd 
Austin for his outstanding and selfless service to our Nation. I wish 
him and his wife, Charlene, all the best.

                          ____________________