[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 86 (Thursday, May 19, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S2617]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO REAR ADMIRAL SARA JOYNER

  Ms. ERNST. Mr. President, I rise today to wish to recognize and 
congratulate Rear Admiral Sara Joyner of the U.S. Navy on her faithful 
service to our Nation as the Department of the Navy's Chief of 
Legislative Affairs from May 2020 to May 2022.
  An amazing leader and warfighter, Rear Admiral Joyner demonstrated 
outstanding commitment to strengthening the Navy's relationship with 
the Members of Congress during a turbulent time for our country and 
institutions as the world navigated a global pandemic that 
fundamentally changed the way we all interact, communicate, and live. 
As COVID-19 brought some organizations to a complete stand-still, Rear 
Admiral Joyner found new and innovative ways to keep open the lines of 
communication between the Department of the Navy and Congress, ensuring 
that the work we do on behalf of the Nation, our sailors, marines and 
their families went on.
  As the first woman ever to command a Super Hornet squadron and then 
Carrier Air Wing, with a career legacy of breaking down barriers, it is 
no surprise Rear Admiral Joyner brings tenacity to any job, a quality 
both necessary and appreciated here on Capitol Hill. She understood the 
importance of maintaining a strong partnership between senior Navy 
leadership and the Hill, and never shied away from tough conversations. 
With enormous pride, she shared the wonderful stories and 
accomplishments of our sailors and marines, while also representing the 
Navy with professionalism and grace when the news was not good and, at 
times even heartbreaking.
  Rear Admiral Joyner has a clear-eyed understanding of our Nation's 
resurgent adversaries and the future implications for our maritime 
forces, specifically about the Columbia-class, shipbuilding, 
maintenance, and technology; a great spirit, she was fond of laughing 
about how a naval aviator could spend so much time talking about 
submarines. Her team is the reason senior Navy leaders are always well 
prepared in hearings, calls, and briefings.
  Rear Admiral Joyner's team has worked tirelessly to educate the 
Members of Congress and our staff on the challenging issues facing the 
Department of the Navy, support hearings on vital issues, ensure the 
annual National Defense Authorization Acts are thoughtfully developed, 
as well as assist with providing diligence to the countless requests 
for assistance from our constituents. Her liaisons escorted 
congressional delegations on travel around the world with 
professionalism and a remarkable level of attention to the smallest 
details. On behalf of my colleagues and the entire U.S. Senate, I want 
to personally thank Rear Admiral Sara Joyner for her more than three 
decades of dedicated service to the Navy and our Nation. She will 
certainly be missed. I especially want to recognize and thank her 
incredibly supportive husband, James, and children Sara and Mark, and 
wish them ``fair winds and following seas.''

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