[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Page 12597]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                 RETIREMENT OF GENERAL DENNIS J. REIMER

  Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the service, 
sacrifices, and numerous contributions to the security of our nation 
that United States Army Chief of Staff, General Dennis J. Reimer has 
made throughout his career as a soldier and a leader.
  As have many of our nation's greatest warriors, General Reimer began 
his Army career as a Cadet at the United States Military Academy. 
Leaving his hometown of Medford, Oklahoma and arriving on the banks of 
the Hudson River on what must certainly have been a hot day in July of 
1958, I suspect that the last thought that crossed the mind of a young 
Dennis Reimer was that he would one day hold the highest job a soldier 
in the United States Army can hold. Yet that is just what destiny had 
in store for this tall, unassuming, and plain speaking westerner.
  In 1962, when Dennis Reimer graduated from West Point and was 
commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Field Artillery, we were well 
into the ``Cold War'', the French had lost their war in Indochina, and 
the United States had not yet established a large military presence in 
South Vietnam. As events unfolded and a policy to contain communism was 
established, it was not long before we did begin to commit troops to 
Southeast Asia. Among the hundreds of thousands of soldiers to 
eventually serve in Vietnam was Dennis Reimer, who spent two combat 
tours in Vietnam, one as an advisor to the Army of the Republic of 
Vietnam and the second as an executive officer for an artillery 
battalion in the 9th Infantry Division. The American military 
experience in Vietnam unquestionably influenced the professional and 
personal outlooks of anyone who served in that theater, and the lessons 
learned in Vietnam would serve Dennis Reimer, the Army, and that nation 
well in the following years.
  One can assess the career of a soldier very quickly by looking at his 
or her uniform, and General Reimer's ``Class A's'' reveal that he is a 
soldier's soldier, someone who never shied away from a challenge, and 
an officer who believed in leading by example. He wears the coveted 
``Ranger'' tab on his left shoulder, a mark of a man who has proven 
himself to be a tough, resourceful, and diligent soldier. The 9th 
Infantry Division patch on his right shoulder tells people he went to 
war with this unit. The Combat Infantryman's Badge he wears on his left 
chest indicates that he participated in combat operations; the Purple 
Heart that he was wounded in action; and, the Bronze Star with ``V'' 
for Valor Device and the Distinguished Flying Cross both stand as 
testament to the fact that he is a hero. He has also earned some of the 
nation's most respected decorations including the Defense Distinguished 
Service Medal, the Distinguished Service Medal, two Legions of Merit, 
and five additional Bronze Stars.
  It has been a long road that Dennis Reimer has traveled from West 
Point's Trophy Point where he entered the Corps of Cadets, to the ``E'' 
Ring of the Pentagon where he now commands every single soldier in the 
United States Army. His journey has taken him to many different 
assignments in many different places, all of which helped to prepare 
him for his job as Chief of Staff of the Army. In the field, he served 
as a commander at the company, battalion, and division levels; and, he 
was the Chief of Staff, Combined Field Army and Assistant Chief of 
Staff for Operations and Training, Republic of Korea/United States 
Combined Forces Command. His assignments to the Pentagon were also 
invaluable as he benefitted from firsthand exposure to how the 
Department of the Army works as an institution. Clearly he has drawn on 
his experiences as the aide-de-camp to Chief of Staff of the Army 
General Creighton Abrams, and he no doubt learned many lessons at the 
side of this impressive soldier and mentor. In short, General Dennis 
Reimer was probably one of the best prepared individuals to have served 
as Chief of Staff of the Army and the legacy he leaves is one that is 
impressive and noteworthy.
  The past four-years have been busy ones for General Reimer as he 
discharged his duties as the Army's head soldier and worked to 
represent the interests of his people and service in the halls of 
Congress. During his watch, he has helped to define just what the post-
Cold War Army will look like, what its missions will be, and how it 
will fight and win on the battlefields of the future. General Reimer 
has been a tireless advocate for the modernization of the Army by 
championing new weapons systems that will continue to give our troops 
the tactical and technological advantage they require to overwhelm any 
and all potential enemies. An expert in efficiencies, he has dedicated 
himself to finding ways to doing more with less, an important objective 
in an era when sadly there are fewer and fewer dollars for defense. He 
committed himself to effectively integrating Reserve and National Guard 
elements into the total force, and General Reamer's efforts have gone a 
long way toward creating what is truly a ``Total Army''. Finally, when 
his former superior, General Abrams said that ``The Army is not made up 
of people, the Army is people,'' General Reimer was listening. As Chief 
of Staff, he was always watching out for his soldiers, never forgetting 
that ``Soldiers are our credentials,'' and our nation's greatest asset. 
Without well trained, motivated, and intelligent soldiers, our tanks, 
guns, weapons, and aircraft are all worthless.
  On June 21, 1999, General Dennis J. Reimer will retire from the 
United States Army, having fulfilled the prediction of an anonymous 
editor of the Howitzer who said in 1962 that ``. . . we're sure Denny 
will make it to the top.'' He has certainly done that and more, proving 
beyond a doubt that he is truly a ``Can Do'' soldier, leader, and 
American. I have no doubt that General Reimer is far from finished in 
finding ways to serve and make a difference, and I am confident that 
his future will be as bright and successful as his past has been. 
General Reimer, I salute you for your service, your sacrifices, and 
your patriotism and I wish you and your wife health and happiness in 
the years to come.

                          ____________________