[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 26 (Wednesday, February 9, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S610]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO THERESE FRANCIS GILES

  Ms. ERNST. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to Ms. Therese 
Giles, a devoted public servant who tirelessly served our Nation with 
distinction in the Department of the Navy for almost four decades. 
Therese recently retired on December 31, 2021, after a successful 37-
year government civil service career as an honored and distinguished 
senior flight controls computer scientist.
  Therese's remarkable career and her immeasurable contributions to our 
national security can be categorized by so many unbelievable ``firsts'' 
and by a lifetime of selfless service.
  As a child, Therese was always intrigued with the next technological 
offering--from watching NASA put the first man on the Moon, to the 
advances in next generation communications, to the invention of the 
integrated core processer. Inspired by these ``firsts,'' she pushed to 
be one of the firsts in her class, team, and field, carrying a life's 
dream of making a difference in the technical field where women were 
very scarce and disappointingly undervalued.
  At a time when women weren't encouraged to pursue technical careers 
and weren't thought of as computer scientists, Therese pushed forward 
and persevered to achieve undergraduate and advanced degrees in 
mathematics and computer science.
  Wanting to be part of something bigger than herself, Therese found 
her calling with the Navy's aviation research and development command. 
As a junior software computer scientist in the mid-1980s, she was 
instrumental in developing the innovative, first-ever, advanced digital 
flight controls architecture that revolutionized the way all Navy and 
Marine Corps jet aircraft operated.
  Therese was also instrumental in resolving the catastrophic failures 
of the V-22 Osprey in the early 1990s and generating the software 
solutions that eventually returned the V-22 to flight and to the 
successful combat operations of today.
  With similar accomplishments across the F-14, A-6, F-18, E-2, and the 
F-35 spectrum of aircraft, Therese directly contributed and helped 
develop the flight control and safety control systems of the majority 
of every naval aircraft from 1985 to current day.
  Throughout these many successes and ``firsts,'' Therese has remained 
committed to supporting and inspiring the next generation of young 
women in STEM fields. Serving as an avid mentor, teacher, and leader of 
the people around her, Therese has been a North Star role model for 
generations of up-and-coming young women to follow their dreams and 
become technical leaders in public service.
  In addition to her thirst for discovery and problem solving, a 
primary reason for Therese's tenacious focus is that she had personal 
``skin in the game'' when it came to our Nation's security. Four of 
Therese's siblings proudly served in our Nation's military: Therese's 
brothers VADM Mat Winter, USN; CDR Tom Winter, USN; Capt. Steve Winter, 
USMC; and sister CDR Elizabeth Winter Scruggs, USNR, all put their 
lives in harm's way during their military careers to ensure our 
Nation's security. Therese's husband, Tim, is himself a retired member 
of the government civil service and an Army veteran. This is a family 
where duty and service run deep.
  Therese, as you and your family celebrate your well-deserved 
retirement, I congratulate you and thank you for almost four decades of 
unbelievable and lasting impact. I thank you for the many years of 
sacrifice you and your family have made in service to our Nation. I 
join my colleagues in the Senate and all Americans in expressing our 
sincere appreciation and wish the very best for you, your husband, your 
son Eric, and daughter Meghan on your next exciting chapter.

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