[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 194 (Wednesday, December 14, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7195-S7196]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 TRIBUTE TO ADMIRAL CHARLES A. RICHARD

  Mrs. FISCHER. Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate ADM Charles 
``Chas'' A. Richard on his retirement from the U.S. Navy. I would also 
like to give my warm regards to his wife Lisa and children Chase, Ally, 
and Emily for supporting him throughout his years of selfless service 
to our country.
  Born in Decatur, AL, Admiral Richard is a dedicated officer who 
represents the best our Nation's military has to offer. I have had the 
privilege of knowing the admiral since he took over for Gen. John E. 
Hyten at U.S. Strategic Command in 2019.
  As the ranking member on the Senate Armed Services Committee's 
Strategic Forces Subcommittee, we have direct oversight over STRATCOM's 
mission areas. STRATCOM also happens to be located in Nebraska, the 
State I proudly represent in the U.S. Senate. For these reasons, I have 
had the opportunity to work closely with Admiral Richard, and I have 
come to appreciate his thoughtful insights and brilliant strategic 
mind. I know many in this Chamber have come to rely on him and his 
expertise, especially those of us working on nuclear deterrence.
  Like other distinguished STRATCOM commanders, he can say with pride, 
``We deterred great power conflict and nuclear war'' during one of the 
most challenging national security environments of the last six 
decades. For any STRATCOM commander, that is truly their greatest 
accomplishment.
  Admiral Richard has had a decisive impact on U.S. Strategic Command. 
He spearheaded the creation of the Risk of Strategic Deterrence Failure 
Assessment. This assessment distilled a decade's worth of analytics 
down to a set of fundamental questions and answers that were vital to 
reevaluating our strategic posture and reemphasizing the importance of 
strong deterrence. You only need to look at Russia's continued war of 
aggression against Ukraine to understand the value of such analysis.
  Given STRATCOM's mission is a global one, Admiral Richard never let 
one region of the world overshadow the serious threats posed by 
another.
  With respect to the Indo-Pacific, Admiral Richard worked tirelessly 
to alert our country to the scope and speed of China's military 
buildup, including Beijing's breathtaking expansion of nuclear 
capabilities. He has been the canary in the coal mine, warning us all 
about the growing threats we face and the role nuclear deterrence must 
play in the 21st century.
  His foresight wasn't just restricted to the rise of China. From day 
one, Admiral Richard understood the need to address our electronic 
warfare capabilities. Under his leadership, STRATCOM created the first 
ever doctrine on Joint Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations, and he 
helped lead the development of NATO's electronic warfare doctrine. 
Under his watch, STRATCOM accomplished more on electronic warfare in 
the last three years than in the previous 20.
  He also always understood the importance of America's nuclear triad, 
and he fought to ensure it remained our top defense priority. 
Overseeing the modernization of all three legs of the nuclear triad is 
a herculean task, and Admiral Richard has done a remarkable job working 
with the services and the National Nuclear Security Administration to 
keep these programs on track.
  STRATCOM has also made huge strides in the modernization of our 
Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications--NC3--architecture over 
the last 3 years. He oversaw the creation of the state-of-the-art NC3 
Intelligence Fusion Center and the first-ever NC3 enterprise dashboard 
with critically needed quick-status viewing. Here, too, the admiral 
broke records. I am told that more was accomplished in the last 3 years 
than in the previous 10 in the modernization of our nuclear arsenal.
  Admiral Richard's leadership weathered challenging times. And his 
steady hand during the pandemic was a masterclass in true leadership. 
As our Nation and our world were grappling with the first global 
pandemic in over a century, he kept STRATCOM on the right track. In 
just 4 short days, he oversaw the largest shift to telework in 
STRATCOM's history, from just a few individuals to nearly 1,400+ 
people. And many of them had to conduct telework at a classified level.
  If you ask Admiral Richard about any of his many accomplishments, he 
will avoid the spotlight and heap praise on others. But he was the 
leader, and STRATCOM is all the better for his leadership.
  When I learned Admiral Richard was retiring, I knew we would be 
losing a

[[Page S7196]]

great leader. I also knew that we would be losing a great man, and I 
knew I would be losing a friend. I learned something every time I met 
with him, and I appreciated his thoughtful insights on the many threats 
our country faces. His clear-eyed, straightforward, and honest advice 
to the Senate Armed Services Committee directly led to stronger, safer 
policies to protect our Nation being signed into law.
  After over 40 years of exemplary service, Admiral Richard's 
retirement is well-earned. I wish him and Lisa the very best, and I 
thank him on behalf of myself and the people of Nebraska for his 
dedication and service to our country.

                          ____________________