[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 91 (Wednesday, May 25, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S2704]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                TRIBUTE TO VICE ADMIRAL ROBERT D. SHARP

  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I rise today on behalf of myself, Vice 
Chairman Rubio, Senator Blunt, and all members of the Senate Select 
Committee on Intelligence to recognize the service and accomplishments 
of VADM Robert D. Sharp and congratulate him on his upcoming 
retirement. His leadership and vision drove the National Geospatial-
Intelligence Agency--NGA--to deliver support to a wide array of 
customers while simultaneously transforming its operating procedures 
and business practices. As Director of NGA, Vice Admiral Sharp ensured 
that timely, relevant, and accurate geospatial intelligence was 
provided to policymakers, warfighters, first responders, the 
intelligence community, and the congressional intelligence oversight 
committees.
  A veteran of the war in Afghanistan and the Gulf War, Vice Admiral 
Sharp served our country during a highly decorated 34-year career with 
the U.S. Navy, receiving two Bronze Stars, the Legion of Merit, two 
Defense Superior Service Medals, and the Navy Distinguished Service 
Medal.
  Vice Admiral Sharp's service included operational deployments with 
USS Ranger (CV61), Carrier Air Wing 2 embarked on USS Constellation (CV 
64), and Carrier Group 2 embarked on USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). 
Additionally, in 2016, Vice Admiral Sharp was tasked with serving as 
commander, Office of Naval Intelligence, and director, National 
Maritime Intelligence-Integration Office.
  Vice Admiral Sharp culminated his distinguished career as the seventh 
director of the NGA. In this capacity he also served as the 
intelligence community's functional manager for GEOINT, head of the 
National System for Geospatial Intelligence, and chair of the Allied 
System for Geospatial Intelligence.
  As NGA director, Vice Admiral Sharp led 14,500 military, civilian, 
and contractor women and men with care, compassion, and resourcefulness 
during the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the government 
shifted to maximize telework, NGA found new and innovative ways to meet 
mission demands while ensuring the safety of the workforce and, 
simultaneously, significantly improving the morale of the workforce.
  Vice Admiral Sharp managed the multibillion-dollar annual operating 
budget of the Agency, including the construction of a new, state-of-
the-art $1.7 billion NGA-West campus in downtown St. Louis, which 
includes the Senator Roy Blunt Geospatial Learning Center. This 
innovative facility will be a model for the IC in the future. Under 
Admiral Sharp's leadership, the agency has maintained a constructive 
and productive relationship with the city, the local community, 
academia, and the private sector, marking St. Louis--now alongside 
Springfield, VA--as a leader in the GEOINT community.
  Vice Admiral Sharp also directed the use of new technology and 
commercial capabilities to meet steadily increasing demands of the 
customer base for trusted GEOINT with speed, accuracy, and precision--
while working to keep ahead of the speed of change occurring in GEOINT 
inside and outside government and around the globe. The importance to 
the Nation--and the world--of the ability to utilize new commercial 
GEOINT capabilities has recently been made clear during Russia's 
unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Vice Admiral Sharp also refocused 
investment in great power competition and emphasized the importance of 
assured positioning, navigation, timing, and targeting.
  Throughout his tenure at NGA, Vice Admiral Sharp focused attention on 
a whole-of-enterprise approach by expanding and deepening relations 
with partners across the enterprise. In particular, he has fostered 
increased engagement with colleges and universities and promoted 
geographic literacy and STEM education in K-12 institutions. NGA has an 
active CRADA with the University of Virginia and open source 
intelligence partnerships with William and Mary University and Virginia 
Tech. NGA has also signed educational partnership agreements with 
Harris Stowe State University, a historically Black university in St. 
Louis; University of Missouri St Louis, the most diverse public 
research institution in the St Louis area; and Gallaudet University, in 
Washington, DC, the Nation's premier university for deaf and hard of 
hearing students. These initiatives are representative of Vice Admiral 
Sharp's career-long commitment to diversity and inclusion.
  Vice Admiral Sharp's tenure at NGA was marked by strong leadership 
and dedication to mission. He inspired a workforce to remain committed 
to the mission while rapidly transforming with changes in technology 
and tradecraft during an unprecedented time in the history of the 
nation. His leadership of NGA and his decades of service to our country 
displayed honor, courage, and commitment. We congratulate Vice Admiral 
Sharp on his retirement and thank him for his service to our country.

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