[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 91 (Tuesday, May 25, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3417-S3418]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            REMEMBERING REAR ADMIRAL RICHARD T. BRENNAN, JR.

  Mrs. SHAHEEN. Madam President, I rise today to honor RDML Richard T. 
Brennan, Jr., of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 
NOAA, Commissioned Corps, one of our Nation's eight uniformed services. 
Admiral Brennan most recently served as the Director of the Office of 
Coast Survey, one of America's oldest bureaus, created by Thomas 
Jefferson in 1807 to produce nautical charts to help the Nation with 
safe shipping, national defense, and maritime boundaries. 
Unfortunately, Admiral Brennan passed

[[Page S3418]]

away suddenly on May 13, 2021, due to complications from surgery. He 
was 52 years old.
  Former leaders of the storied ``Survey of the Coast,'' going back to 
the first superintendent, Ferdinand R. Hassler, were either impeccable 
surveyors, expert scientists, ingenious engineers, master shiphandlers, 
intrepid explorers, or visionary risk-takers. With 27 years of diverse 
experience and a constant desire to learn more, Admiral Brennan 
embodied all of those qualities and more. He served on nearly every 
hydrographic ship in NOAA's fleet, surveying the East Coast, Caribbean 
territories, the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Coast into remote areas 
of Alaska, even mapping far into the Arctic Ocean to support the U.S.'s 
Law of the Sea claim. Whether discovering a new, uncharted seamount 
deep in the Chukchi Sea or uncovering the sunken remains of a lost 
locomotive tender car off the tidal banks of the Piscataqua River, 
Admiral Brennan's endless enthusiasm for mapping our oceans and coasts 
was infectious to all who sailed with him.
  During his various land assignments, Admiral Brennan provided 
valuable technical direction to the many physical scientists, 
hydrographers, cartographers, and officers who worked for him while 
leading change to pull charting services ever more into the digital 
age. He served as a reliable resource to various maritime stakeholders 
and other Federal Agencies, using his effective interpersonal skills to 
bring NOAA assets to bear in addressing their concerns. He notably 
earned the NOAA Corps Commendation Medal and the Department of Commerce 
Group Silver Medal for his service during Hurricane Irene by 
coordinating NOAA resources to quickly reopen the port of Norfolk, a 
waterway that is as vital for national security as it is for global 
commerce. I am proud to point out that along the way, he earned a 
master's degree in ocean engineering at the University of New 
Hampshire's esteemed Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping.
  However, Admiral Brennan's stellar career is not what endeared 
himself to so many or what makes his passing so devastating. He was an 
exemplary civil servant and leader, and he is remembered as the person 
whom so many were grateful to work alongside during their own careers. 
People across the country remember Admiral Brennan for his empathy, wry 
humor, generosity, friendship, and humanity. Many sought his guidance 
on personal matters as much as they did on professional challenges, and 
he went out of his way for them, seeking out the struggling colleague 
to cheer them up with his warm wit or changing plans to chat over a 
commiserating meal. The task at hand was important to Admiral Brennan, 
but he never looked past the people around him, putting them first. My 
thoughts are with NOAA and the maritime community, knowing that his 
loss has created a hole in the hearts of all who were fortunate to know 
him.
  More importantly, my deepest sympathies go out to his wife Tracey and 
his two sons, Ty and Sam, who lost a wonderful husband and loving 
father far too soon. By all accounts, Admiral Brennan's family were 
front and center in his life, and they never left his thoughts, 
especially when he was away in support of NOAA's mission.
  On behalf of all the people of New Hampshire, I ask my colleagues and 
all Americans to join me in honoring Admiral Brennan for his 
leadership, integrity, and dedicated years of service to this grateful 
Nation. May he rest in peace.

                          ____________________