[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 82 (Friday, May 18, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E684]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL RECONNAISSANCE OFFICE, MAJOR 
                         GENERAL STEPHEN DENKER

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE COFFMAN

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 18, 2018

  Mr. COFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Deputy Director 
of the National Reconnaissance Office, Major General Stephen Denker.
  General Denker is retiring after a long and impressive career in the 
Air Force. Though his Air Force assignments have taken him around the 
world, three of those assignments have been in Colorado and his family 
has called Centennial home for the past three years. General Denker 
looks forward to returning ``home'' to Colorado and spending more time 
with his wife Corinne and sons Ben and Jake. Jake will graduate from 
Grandview High School this spring. Like his father, Gen. Denker's older 
son Ben, is serving in the Air Force and has accepted the demanding 
challenge of training to be a Pararescueman and their motto ``That 
Others May Live''.
  General Denker was born in Illinois and moved to Wisconsin in 6th 
grade. He earned his commission through the Air Force Reserve Officer's 
Training Corps and a Bachelor's degree in Aeronautical Engineering from 
the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Institute of Technology as well 
as a Masters of System Management from the University of Southern 
California.
  During his career General Denker has served in a variety of 
acquisition, operational, command and staff assignments in the United 
States and overseas. A true space professional, nearly all of his 32 
year career has been dedicated to acquiring space capabilities and 
leading other space professionals in support of the Intelligence 
Community and Department of Defense. General Denker held multiple 
commands at the squadron, group and wing level and was responsible for 
the development of leaders across the Air Force as the Commandant of 
Air Command and Staff College and the Vice Commander of the Spaatz 
Center.
  As the Deputy Director of the National Reconnaissance Office, General 
Denker has been critical to coordinating national space capabilities 
like the National Space Defense Center. As a member of the Armed 
Services Committee, I have appreciated both his expertise and candor in 
his appearance before the Strategic Forces subcommittee on space 
issues.
  While I'll miss seeing General Denker before the committee, I look 
forward to seeing him back home in Colorado. On behalf of my House 
colleagues, I take this opportunity to thank Major General Denker for 
his service to the nation and wish him well in retirement.

                          ____________________