[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Page 4244]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO COMMANDER JUDI JO ROGERS

 Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize a great 
American and a true military heroine who has honorably served our 
country for 22 years in the Navy Nurse Corps: CDR Judi J. Rogers. 
Commander Rogers began her career as a staff nurse at Naval Medical 
Center, San Diego, CA. She quickly rose through the ranks and served at 
Naval bases throughout the world, including Naval Hospital Okinawa, 
Japan, Naval Hospital Long Beach, CA, National Naval Medical Center 
Bethesda, MD, and Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, VA. Following in her 
father's footsteps, the late LCDR Kenneth Rogers, USN, Retired, 
Commander Rogers served aboard combatant ships independently providing 
anesthesia services as a certified registered nurse anesthetist, CRNA, 
to the sailors and marines aboard the U.S.S Theodore Roosevelt, CVN-71, 
and the U.S.S WASP, LHD-1, during all underway periods including two 6-
month Mediterranean deployments. She was then assigned as the first 
woman to serve as the Assistant Group Surgeon for Combatant Amphibious 
Assault Group Two. In each assignment, Commander Rogers excelled and 
met every challenge, and was rewarded with greater responsibilities and 
opportunities.
  Her talent for teaching and mentoring personnel, as well as her 
creativity and skill in management, were instrumental in providing 
Military Medicine the cadre of CRNAs serving today. As an advanced 
cardiac life support, ACLS, instructor, Commander Rogers continually 
supported mission readiness by providing ACLS courses to hundreds of 
active duty and reserve troops, and trauma skills and training vital 
for battlefield survival of our troops. Above all, she is a stellar 
leader and a compassionate nurse who always put the welfare of her 
staff and patients first.
  Commander Rogers is a committed health care professional who has 
positively influenced the practice of nursing nationally. She is an 
active member of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, AANA. 
A faculty member for AANA's Education and Research Foundation since 
1988, Commander Rogers personally provided 18 Special Epidural 
Workshops to 450 CRNAs across the country. She also authored a chapter 
of AANA's official text, The Clinical Techniques of Regional 
Anesthesia, titled ``Acute Pain Management.'' Commander Rogers always 
went the extra mile to serve her country and her fellow man. Her 
performance reflects greatly on herself, the U.S. Navy, the Department 
of Defense, and the United States of America. I extend my deepest 
appreciation to Commander Rogers on behalf of a grateful nation for her 
dedicated military service. Congratulations and I wish you 
Godspeed.

                          ____________________