[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Pages 8979-8980]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             TRIBUTE TO CAPTAIN ROBERT B. SHIELDS, JR., USN

 Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize and say 
farewell to an outstanding Naval Officer, Captain Robert B. Shields, 
Jr., as he prepares to retire upon completion of twenty-seven years of 
distinguished service. It is a privilege for me to honor his many 
outstanding achievements and commend him for his devotion to the Navy 
and our great Nation.
  A native of Providence, Rhode Island, Captain Shields is a graduate 
of the United States Naval Academy. Upon graduation in 1972, his first 
sea tour was aboard the USS Aylwin (FF-1081) where he served as First 
Lieutenant and Anti-Submarine Warfare Officer. His second and third 
shipboard tours were served aboard USS Nicholson (DD-982) and USS 
Richmond K. Turner (CG-20). Captain Shields continued to demonstrate 
outstanding leadership abilities as the Executive Officer of USS 
Sterett (CG-31) and was rewarded with command of the destroyer USS 
O'Bannon (DD-987).
  His most recent sea tour was as Commanding Officer of the cruiser USS 
Vicksburg (CG-69). During Captain Shield's tenure, his ship earned the

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Battle Efficiency ``E'' Award, the Ney award, and the Best Ship's Store 
Sales and Service Award. Vicksburg distinguished herself as Air Warfare 
Commander for the John F. Kennedy Battlegroup while deployed to the 
Mediterranean and Persian Gulf.
  Captain Shields completed shore assignments at the Navy Postgraduate 
School where he earned a Masters of Science Degree in Engineering 
Acoustics; the Royal Navy Staff College in Greenwich, England; and in a 
variety of assignments in Washington, D.C. In Washington, he was 
assigned to the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations in the Research, 
Development and Acquisition Directorate and then completed a year as a 
Federal Executive Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Captain 
Shields first came in contact with our nation's lawmakers when he 
served as a Congressional Liaison Officer for surface ship programs in 
the Navy's Office of Legislative Affairs. With many successful at-sea 
and shore tours behind him, Captain Shields' was then handpicked to 
serve as Deputy Legislative Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint 
Chiefs of Staff. His current, and last, assignment has been with the 
Navy's Office of Legislative Affairs where he is Deputy Chief.
  Captain Shields is a dynamic and resourceful naval officer who 
throughout his tenure has proven to be an indispensable asset. He is a 
passionate advocate of the Sea Services and has been tireless in 
supporting the needs of the Sailors in the Fleet and their families. He 
understands better than anyone that they are truly the backbone of our 
national defense. His superior contributions and distinguished service 
will have long-term benefits for both the Navy and the country he so 
proudly served. As Captain Shields enters into his new profession, we 
will certainly miss him. I am proud to thank him for his service and 
wish him ``fair winds and following seas'' as he concludes his 
distinguished Naval career.

                          ____________________