[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 16488]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



     CONGRATULATIONS ON THE RETIREMENT OF GENERAL JOHN GORDON, USAF

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. LaTourette). Under a previous order of 
the House, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Goss) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. GOSS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an outstanding 
American who has faithfully served our country for the past 32 years, 
General John A. Gordon.
  General Gordon, who retired from the Air Force earlier this month, 
was awarded two commendations this morning in a ceremony at the George 
Bush Center for Intelligence. George Tenet, Director of Central 
Intelligence, awarded him the National Intelligence Distinguished 
Service Medal; and General Michael Ryan, Air Force Chief of Staff, 
awarded him the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal.
  John Gordon's Air Force career began in 1968, and his early 
assignments were in the highly scientific areas of weapons research, 
development and acquisition. He went on to serve as a long-range 
planner at the Strategic Air Command. He was then assigned as a 
politico-military affairs officer at the Department of State. He 
returned to the real Air Force as commander of the 90th Strategic 
Missile Wing.
  General Gordon also served our country as a staff officer with the 
National Security Council and in several senior Department of Defense 
planning and policy-making positions.
  Joining the intelligence community late in his career, General Gordon 
was first appointed as associate director of Central Intelligence for 
Military Support back in 1996. Following that assignment, he was named 
Deputy Director of Central Intelligence, the second-highest ranking 
intelligence officer in the United States, a position he held with 
great distinction from October of 1997 through June of this year.
  His tenure came at a time when the intelligence community was 
rebuilding in response to new threats to the United States national 
security that have emerged since the end of the Cold War, things we 
know as transnational threats, terrorism, weapons proliferation, 
weapons of mass destruction proliferation, illegal arms sales, 
narcotics, those types of things. As DDCI, General Gordon worked 
closely with Congress and the House Permanent Select Committee on 
Intelligence to improve U.S. intelligence capability and to safeguard 
sensitive national security information.
  General Gordon brought a singular sense of purpose to the Deputy 
Director's job that was highly valued by those inside and outside the 
intelligence community.
  I would like to point out, despite the fact that he does not have a 
background in intelligence, John Gordon would have made a great case 
officer. Last year he took time to sit down with a group of high school 
students from my district, some of the top students in southwest 
Florida. After he spoke to them, several were ready to sign up for a 
career in the U.S. intelligence community; and this comes in an era 
where many gifted students are leaving school early to earn a fortune 
in a new digital economy. I think General Gordon has another career out 
there as a recruiter for Intelligence if he wants it.
  From this gentleman's perspective, it was a pleasure to work with 
General Gordon while he wore the uniform of the United States Air 
Force. I am sure he will bring the same diligence and professionalism 
and integrity to his first civilian job as the Under Secretary of 
Energy for Nuclear Security and the first administrator for the 
National Nuclear Security Administration. As we all know, our nuclear 
secrets and weapons abilities will be more secure, and needs to be more 
secure in places like Los Alamos, with John Gordon as their steward. We 
look forward to his taking up the reins.
  On behalf of the members of the House Permanent Select Committee on 
Intelligence, I would like to thank General John Gordon for his 
continuing service to our Nation. I wish John and his wife, Marilyn, 
and their daughter, Jennifer, all the best for their future. I offer 
sincere gratitude for the family sacrifices I know have been made to 
allow General Gordon to commit so much time and energy to distinguish 
himself in critical 7-day-a-week, 24-hour-a-day top-level jobs that he 
has done so well. That is a great contribution to our country. It 
deserves to be recognized.

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