[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Pages 23137-23138]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO THURSTON ERIC WOMBLE

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I take this opportunity to recognize and say 
farewell to an outstanding staff member and friend, Eric Womble. For 
the past 7 years, Eric has served as my national security adviser and 
military legislative assistant, and as one of my most able counselors. 
As Eric moves on to new challenges in the private sector, it is my 
privilege to commend him for his service.
  The son of Thurston and Olive Womble, Eric was born at Bethesda Naval 
Hospital in Maryland and was raised in Mobile, AL. He received his 
undergraduate degree in 1979 from the United States Naval Academy and 
was designated a Naval Flight Officer in 1980. Before retiring from the 
United States Navy in 1997, he served in many assignments, including: 
Patrol Squadron Twenty-Four, VP-24; the Joint Chiefs of Staff Intern 
Program in Washington, D.C.; the Program Resource Appraisal Division in 
the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, OP-81; Flag Secretary to 
Commander Seventh Fleet in Yokosuka, Japan; Fleet Replacement 
Instructor in Patrol Squadron Thirty, VP-30; Operations Officer in 
Patrol Squadron Forty-Nine, VP-49; Executive Assistant to the Chief of 
Naval Research; and in the Department of Defense's Congressional 
Fellows Program.
  During his military career, Eric was awarded the Legion of Merit, 
Meritorious Services Medal with a gold star, Navy Commendation Medal 
with three gold stars, Joint Service Achievement Medal, and Meritorious 
Unit Commendation with bronze star. He also earned an MBA from 
Marymount University of Virginia and served as a White House Social Aid 
for President Ronald Reagan.
  When Eric came to work for me seven years ago, I assigned him the 
task of helping me implement an innovative plan to create new jobs in 
Mississippi by growing the research and technology base at our 
universities and in our industrial community. Eric's efforts helped 
Mississippi universities and businesses grow their research and 
technology programs by approximately 200 percent from 1996 to 2002. 
This growth in research and technology was a major factor in attracting 
several Fortune 500 companies, including Nissan Motor Company, Lockheed 
Martin Corporation, The Boeing Company and Alliant TechSystems. 
Mississippi also has become home to several new military commands 
including Special Boat Unit Twenty-Two, the Navy's Southeast Region 
Human Resource Office, and the Air National Guard's first C-17 
squadron. This prescription for growth, which Eric helped me pursue for 
seven years, also helped several existing entities in Mississippi, 
including Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, Raytheon Aerospace Company, 
and the Meteorology and Oceanography command to prosper and create more 
jobs.
  When our military was suffering from extremely low retention and 
recruiting

[[Page 23138]]

in the mid-1990's, Eric helped me craft legislation that helped reverse 
these troubling trends. During his tenure on my staff, the Congress 
passed the largest pay raise for our military men and women since 1981, 
repealed the REDUX retirement system, reset the future pay raise 
formula to Employment Compensation Index plus one-half percent, 
implemented dual compensation exemption for military officers, reset 
the pay caps for our Flag and General officers, created the TRICARE For 
Life military health care system, and targeted millions of dollars in 
pay raises to our mid-career enlisted military personnel and officers. 
Eric also assisted me in improving the quality of medical care to our 
military veterans by helping me craft legislation to establish a 
Medicare Subvention Demonstration program and a prescription drug 
program.
  During the Clinton administration, Eric was instrumental in my 
efforts to bolster our Nation's armed forces by getting $48 billion in 
additional funds for our military through supplemental and 
congressionally added funds. He also helped me gain $823 million in 
military construction funding from 1996 to 2003 to revitalize 
Mississippi's most critical military bases.
  In particular, I should note that Eric's naval experience was 
significant in helping me bolster the naval shipbuilding industry on 
the Mississippi Gulf Coast. He was instrumental in bringing together 
the Navy, the Office of Secretary of Defense, industry, and the 
Congress to ensure a robust naval shipbuilding program. His work was 
reflected in the development of the LHD, LHA(R), LPD-17, DD(X), DDG-51, 
and the Littoral Combat Ship programs.
  I know that the citizens of Mississippi benefited from Eric's 
relentless pursuit of military and economic development projects that 
will impact the State for years to come. The country, too, should be 
proud to have had such a champion of strong military ideals fighting to 
preserve our nation's military power and to properly support our men 
and women in uniform. As a result of his outstanding performance, Eric 
was recently awarded the Mississippi Distinguished Civilian Service 
Medal and the Department of the Navy's Superior Public Service Award.
  As Eric moves onto a new and exciting position as Vice President for 
Programs at Northrop Grumman Corporation, I wish him, his wife Wendy, 
and their children, Melissa and Matthew, every success. Eric has served 
our country for more than 27 years, and as he embarks upon his new 
journey, I wish to take this opportunity to thank him for his service 
and to wish him nothing but the best in his new career.

                          ____________________