[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 168 (Monday, September 27, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S6696]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO STEPHANIE BARNA

 Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, it is my honor to pay tribute to 
Stephanie Barna, who is retiring October 15 after more than 30 years of 
Federal service. A dedicated public servant, a fierce advocate for our 
Nation's men and women in uniform, and an astute legal mind, the Senate 
Committee on Armed Services has been extremely fortunate to have Ms. 
Barna as Republican General Counsel for the past 3 years.
  Ms. Barna joined the Committee on Armed Services in November 2018, 
after decades of working within the Department of Defense both as a 
uniformed officer and as a civilian. As a career Senior Executive at 
the Pentagon, Ms. Barna held critical positions that focused on Total 
Force management, personnel matters, and improving the lives of our 
servicemembers and their families. Most recently, she performed the 
duties of the Under Secretary of Defense for Secretary of Defense Jim 
Mattis. Before that, she served as senior policy adviser to then-Under 
Secretary of Defense Robert Wilkie; Principal Deputy Assistant 
Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs; performed the 
duties of Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and 
Readiness; and Deputy General Counsel for Operations and Personnel in 
the Office of the Army General Counsel.
  Ms. Barna began her public service career in 1989 as a lieutenant in 
the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Corps. Ultimately, she retired 
from the U.S. Army Reserve in 2011 in the grade of colonel. She is also 
qualified as an Army Jumpmaster, and if she is willing to jump out of a 
perfectly safe plane, she is definitely able to work in Congress.
  As a member of my staff on the Senate Committee on Armed Services, 
Ms. Barna played a critical role in the drafting and enactment of the 
fiscal year 2020 and 2021 National Defense Authorization Acts, NDAA. 
Because of her work and commitment to bipartisan solutions, we 
successfully enacted the 59th and 60th consecutive NDAAs when many 
speculated it couldn't be done. I am grateful for her work this year to 
help usher the fiscal year 2022 NDAA toward the finish line as well. 
With creativity and tenacity, Ms. Barna shepherded important policy 
reforms that strengthened national security, improved the management of 
the Pentagon, and bettered the lives of our servicemembers.
  Over her career, Ms. Barna received numerous, well-deserved 
accolades, including the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Executive 
Presidential Rank Award, the Department of Defense Medal for 
Distinguished Civilian Service, and the Department of the Army 
Exceptional Civilian Service Award--twice.
  Most telling to her leadership, Ms. Barna has never asked for 
recognition. She is a tireless worker, wholly dedicated to serving her 
Nation. If you were to look up the definitions of ``competent,'' 
``capable,'' and ``grace under fire'' in the dictionary, I am sure you 
would see her picture.
  Ms. Barna leaves behind a legacy of getting things done, of doing 
what is good and right, and fulfilling the law to the best of her 
understanding. Because of her, the Department of Defense operates 
better, our troops are better cared for, and long-standing institution 
of the U.S. Senate live on. While she will leave big shoes to fill on 
the Senate Committee on Armed Services, I wish her very well in her 
well-earned retirement. For her service, she has my thanks and the 
thanks of a grateful nation.

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