[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 84 (Tuesday, May 16, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S2951]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



          Tribute to Lieutenant General Christopher C. Bogdan

  Mr. President, in addition to honoring our men and women who wear the 
police uniform, I wish to pay tribute to a seasoned leader who wears 
the military uniform--Lt. Gen. Christopher C. Bogdan. General Bogdan is 
the program executive officer of the F-35 Lightning II Joint Program 
Office. He is really a respected airman, a true patriot, and a dear 
friend.
  Nearly singlehandedly, he salvaged the F-35 program from ruin, 
providing much needed leadership at a critical time in the development 
of this important weapons system. He will be retiring this June after 
more than three decades of dedicated and decorated service in the U.S. 
Air Force. On behalf of a grateful nation, I wish to thank General 
Bogdan for his leadership, service, and his sacrifice.
  General Bogdan is an exceptional leader and a man of unwavering 
character and integrity. Several years ago, the general was given the 
daunting task of saving the F-35 program from the clutches of ``scandal 
and tragedy,'' as Senator McCain once so accurately described. During 
his tenure, General Bogdan overcame seemingly insurmountable obstacles 
to right the ship at the F-35 program office. Along the way, he 
demanded the highest performance from his own staff and industry 
partners to establish a corrective path forward.
  I first met General Bogdan in October 2013, when I made a special 
visit to the F-35 program office in Arlington, VA. General Bogdan 
warmly greeted me before introducing me to all eight of the national 
deputies from the program's partner nations. I was so impressed to see 
all of them in uniform--these great heroes from all of these other 
nations that are dependent upon the United States and our F-35 program. 
The general spoke briefly about how important this weapons system was 
not only to our own national security but also to the collective 
defense of the program's partner nations--the United Kingdom, the 
Netherlands, Italy, Turkey, Canada, Australia, Norway, and Denmark, 
and, in the case of military sales, Israel and Japan. At that moment, I 
realized just how vital this cutting-edge platform was to the cause of 
freedom around the globe.
  We then adjourned to General Bogdan's office, where he asked for my 
help in three areas that would be critical to bringing the F-35 to full 
operational capability: activating depot workloads, expanding the Utah 
Test and Training Range, and building infrastructure for the 
sustainment of F-35 software--one of the most complicated and the most 
highly scientifically run airplane in the world.
  That day, I made a commitment to help General Bogdan. Years later, I 
am pleased to say that, in working together, we were successful in 
achieving all three objectives. In last year's National Defense 
Authorization Act, I offered an amendment to expand the Utah Test and 
Training Range by 40 percent, which is an increase of more than 1,000 
square miles. With a little help from Congress, the depot activations 
at Hill Air Force Base progressed quickly, enabling the Air Force to 
station its first operational F-35 squadron at the base last August. In 
working alongside State leaders, I was also able to generate support 
for the construction of a software facility that will help sustain the 
F-35 for years to come.
  Without General Bogdan's vision and strategic direction, none of 
these accomplishments would have been possible. It really is important. 
Utah is the only place over land where you had a big enough area where 
you could fly this immensely important F-35 and do the training that 
needed to be done--with live ordnance by the way.
  A year after we met, General Bogdan cleared his schedule so he could 
accompany me on a visit to the F-35 production line in Fort Worth, TX. 
There, I witnessed the current production run of over 100 F-35s 
progressing through the assembly line--truly a sight to behold. As 
planes moved out of the assembly line, General Bogdan explained 
critical challenges at each stopping point. I wondered how one man 
could be so intimately involved in every minute detail of the plane's 
production, yet still have the capacity to lead at the highest levels. 
In that moment, I knew General Bogdan was the right man to be in the 
largest acquisition program the world has ever seen.
  When General Bogdan first took the helm of the F-35 Joint Program 
Office, he walked into a hostile environment, knowing full well he 
would face constant scrutiny and tremendous political pressure from all 
sides. He knew he would have to answer for every decision he would 
make, but General Bogdan was more than up to the task. In his 
leadership of the F-35 Joint Program Office, General Bogdan embodied 
three core values of the U.S. Air Force: integrity first, service 
before self, and excellence in all they do.
  Both in the Air Force and in his private life, General Bogdan is a 
model of commitment and sacrifice. As great as his service to our 
Nation, the Air Force, and the F-35 program has been, it pales in 
comparison to the dedication he has shown his lovely wife April and 
their two children, Amanda and Adam.
  Our Nation is safer today thanks to General Bogdan's 34 years of 
distinguished military service. I would like to congratulate my friend 
on the Senate floor on a stellar Air Force career. I consider myself 
lucky to know General Bogdan and even luckier to call him a friend. I 
wish him and April the very best as they begin the next chapter of 
their lives.
  This is a man for whom I have the utmost respect. I lost my brother 
in the Second World War. He was a flier on a B-24 in one of the 
Palestine oil raids. I have to say that General Bogdan reminds me of my 
brother and a lot of heroes I have met who have served this country so 
well. He is at the top of the list. I just think the world of him, I 
think the world of his family, and I wish him the absolute best.
  I thank the Chair.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Dakota.