[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3933-S3934]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRIBUTE TO BARRY GOSNELL
Mrs. BRITT. Mr. President, I am honored to recognize Mr. Barry
Gosnell, an exceptional public servant, business leader, and innovator
whose more than four decades of leadership in government and industry
have strengthened our national defense, advanced technological
innovation, and fostered economic growth throughout the Tennessee
Valley and beyond.
A longtime leader at Redstone Arsenal, Mr. Gosnell devoted 28 years
of civilian service to advancing engineering excellence, innovation,
and mission effectiveness in support of the American warfighter. Most
recently serving as deputy director of the Software Engineering
Directorate, he helped lead one of the Army's most vital technical
organizations through a period of remarkable growth and transformation.
As a principal architect of that success, Mr. Gosnell played a central
role in the directorate's 40-percent increase in business revenue,
reaching $1.1 billion in fiscal year 2012, while the organization
expanded to more than 3,000 government and contract engineers
supporting some of our Nation's most important defense programs.
Before serving as deputy director, Mr. Gosnell led the Acquisition
and Technology Engineering Division for 14 years and earned a
reputation as a
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trusted and highly capable executive leader. During his tenure, he
oversaw the reassignment of engineers and technical personnel to
establish two new divisions, strengthening organizational capability
and increasing government engineering capacity by 15 percent. Over the
course of his leadership, he simultaneously served in multiple
demanding roles, including deputy director, fire support division
chief, head of special projects, and oversight of critical business
management functions, reflecting the confidence his superiors and
colleagues consistently placed in his leadership.
Following his distinguished government career, Mr. Gosnell continued
his service to the defense community through his leadership at COLSA
Corporation. As chief executive officer, he has overseen one of the
most successful periods in the company's history. Under his guidance,
COLSA achieved record growth, generating more than $400 million in new
revenue during 2024 and 2025 alone. Despite significant industry-wide
challenges resulting from Federal contract reviews and reductions in
professional services spending, COLSA remained resilient and well-
positioned for continued success. Mr. Gosnell fostered a culture of
collaboration, accountability, and open communication, empowering
leaders throughout the organization to contribute ideas and pursue
innovative solutions. He strengthened strategic partnerships across the
Huntsville and Eglin defense communities, resulting in increased prime
contract awards and valuable teaming opportunities. Recognizing the
importance of disciplined growth, he established rigorous business
development processes that enhanced corporate performance and
maintained a strong pipeline of future opportunities. He also helped
position COLSA at the forefront of emerging technologies by leading the
company's expansion into uncrewed systems, assembling highly skilled
teams and helping bring innovative commercial drone technologies to
market. Throughout his tenure, he remained steadfastly focused on long-
term growth while ensuring that every decision reflected the four
values established by COLSA's founder, Dr. Frank J. Collazo: teamwork,
integrity, people, and customer satisfaction.
Mr. Gosnell's career has been defined by innovation and forward-
thinking leadership. He played a pivotal role in advancing the use of
game-based technologies for military training and recruiting, helping
bring to life the groundbreaking America's Army program, which reached
more than 10 million registered users and became one of the most widely
recognized online military engagement tools in the world. His vision in
leveraging emerging technology helped modernize how the Army
communicates with and inspires future generations of servicemembers.
His contributions to cyber security and systems engineering have
likewise left a lasting mark. Mr. Gosnell was instrumental in
developing Software Engineering Directorate capabilities to secure
critical operational and training systems against evolving cyber
threats, strengthening the Army's information assurance posture during
a period of rapidly increasing digital risk. He also played a central
role in expanding systems integration laboratory concepts to aviation
platforms, enabling improved interoperability, enhanced testing, and
significant cost savings across multiple Army airframes, including the
AH-64 Apache, UH-60 Black Hawk, CH-47 Chinook, and other mission-
critical platforms.
Throughout his distinguished career, Mr. Gosnell consistently
demonstrated an unwavering commitment to strengthening America's
defense capabilities while fostering technical excellence within
government and industry alike. His work in missile defense systems
testing, aviation interoperability, cyber security, business
leadership, and organizational development has had an enduring impact,
directly supporting the readiness of our armed forces and the strength
of Alabama's defense industrial base.
I am pleased to join my colleagues and the citizens of Alabama in
expressing our sincere gratitude to Mr. Barry Gosnell for his
extraordinary leadership, innovation, and faithful service to the U.S.
Army, the defense community, and our Nation. His career stands as a
testament to excellence in public service, principled leadership, and a
steadfast commitment to those he serves. Mr. Gosnell is truly an
outstanding American.
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