[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 126 (Thursday, July 26, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1075]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING MR. STEVEN A. HILDRETH

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JODY B. HICE

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 26, 2018

  Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in order to 
honor the achievements of Steven A. Hildreth, Specialist in Missile 
Defense, Congressional Research Service, on the occasion of his 
retirement from the Service on August 31, 2018.
  Steve Hildreth served Congress with distinction for more than 32 
years at the Library of Congress as a Specialist in U.S. and Foreign 
National Security Programs for the Congressional Research Service. He 
earned a bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University in Provo, 
Utah, a master's degree in international relations from Georgetown 
University in Washington, D.C. graduate work at Johns Hopkins 
University School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C. 
and master's degree in national security strategy from the National War 
College in Washington, D.C.
  Steve is recognized throughout Congress, the military Services, the 
defense community, and the arms control community as an expert in U.S. 
nuclear weapons and ballistic missile defense, arms control, military 
space, and nonproliferation issues. He wrote extensively on missile 
defense programs--from the Strategic Defense Initiative in the 1980s 
through the current Ground-based Midcourse Defense and Aegis programs. 
He also assisted the House Armed Services Committee, after the first 
Gulf War, with assessments of the effectiveness of the Patriot system 
in taking down Iraqi scud missiles. In that capacity, he assisted 
Congress in eight hours of testimony, leading a group of Congressional 
Research Service researchers, in providing open source analysis of the 
international aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks 
before the 9/11 Commission. Halfway through, the staff director for the 
Commission told Steve, ``I never believed in open source analysis until 
today.''
  Steve also exercised true leadership at the Congressional Research 
Service. For nine years he headed up the Central Research Unit in the 
Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division of the Congressional 
Research Service, where he created and managed an extensive internship 
program and oversaw many of the research experts of the Service.
  Steve published many influential Congressional Research Service 
reports on such subjects as challenges to the United States in space; 
Iran's ballistic missile and space launch programs, long range 
ballistic missile defense in Europe, ballistic missile defense in the 
Asia-Pacific region, ballistic missile defense and offensive arms 
reductions, cyberwarfare, and the Strategic Defense Initiative. 
Additionally, he provided objective, expert analysis on a number of 
issues, ranging from Israeli missile defense capabilities to the 
proposed U.S. Space Corps, to Congress, to the House Armed Services 
Committee, and to me personally--analysis for which I am very grateful.
  After retirement, Steve will head to Vashon Island, Washington, with 
his family, to enjoy an idyllic and relaxing life.

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