[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Page 13949]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                      MILITARY CHANGE OF COMMANDS

  Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, in the June edition of Leatherneck 
magazine, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Charles Krulak, 
quotes his father as saying: ``The American people believe that Marines 
are downright good for the country.''
  Mr. President, I agree with the Commandant's father. And I am pleased 
General Krulak also holds that well founded opinion. The U.S. Marine 
Corps is collectively good for this country, and the services of 
individual marines such as General Krulak are a big part of that 
positive contribution made by the corps.
  Unfortunately, the title of the article in which General Krulak 
quoted his father was ``A farewell to the Corps.'' General Krulak will 
be retiring after 4 years from his position as Commandant at the end of 
this month.
  I would like to thank him for his service and efforts on behalf of 
his corps and his nation.
  Although I have been on the Armed Services Committee a short 6 
months, I have had several good experiences with the Commandant.
  I think the most notable was in May of this year, when a large group 
of my constituents were taking a tour of the Pentagon, and the 
Commandant invited them into his office. He said then that he usually 
tries to do something similar--bring tourists into his personal 
office--everyday. I do not think Krulak was fully aware of what he was 
getting himself into, but all 50 or so crowded their way into his 
office, and listened while he spoke about the corps, the moving of his 
office down from the `barbed wire surrounded hill of the Naval Annex' 
to the corridors of the Pentagon, and the corps' efforts and ability to 
turn young men and women into marines.
  Let me tell you, they were impressed. They were impressed with his 
position, they were impressed with his efforts, they were impressed 
with his commitment, and they were impressed with the man.
  I have also had correspondence with General Krulak relating to our 
work on S. 4, and for the process of preparing the defense 
authorization. He consistently strikes me as a man who is well aware of 
the challenges his position holds, and works to meet them.
  He has been straightforward and dependable. Hearing testimony from 
him at committee hearings is always a pleasure. He does not rattle off 
bland platitudes. I felt that I could always rely on his opinion to be 
the truest possible interpretation of the situation, and one that held 
the best interests of the country at the foremost.
  Mr. President, let me end by repeating: General Krulak has been 
fundamentally good for this country. I wish him well in whatever new 
course he sets for himself.
  Also, I would like to welcome Gen. James Jones into his role as the 
32d Commandant of the Marine Corps. I have met with him only very 
briefly, but I look forward to working with him. I am sure he will 
follow in the able footsteps of all the past U.S. Marine Corps 
Commandants, and serve the Marines and America admirably.

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