[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Page 17394]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 TRIBUTE TO MAJOR GENERAL JOHN W. HOLLY

  Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to recognize 
the service of an outstanding leader and public servant. After more 
than 32 years in uniform, MG John W. Holly will soon retire and move 
into private life.
  Four years ago, Major General Holly was appointed Program Director of 
the Joint Program Office of Ground-Based Midcourse Defense. For the 
past year he has also served as the Deputy Director of the Missile 
Defense Agency, overseeing the direction of all other ballistic missile 
defense programs in the agency.
  The Ground-Based Midcourse Defense System is not your run-of-the-mill 
weapons program. It is virtually global in scope, spanning 12 time 
zones, from the United Kingdom to the outer reaches of the Aleutian 
Islands. It has required upgrades to early warning radars from the Cold 
War era and the development of the most advanced sea-going X-band radar 
ever built; this equipment was then linked with communication centers 
throughout the United States and firing sites in Alaska and California. 
This effort has also involved the development, testing, and deployment 
of an interceptor-and-kill vehicle that closes in on its target at 
speeds of up to 18,000 miles an hour and hits within centimeters of its 
aim point.
  Each of the major systems involved in this effort and many of their 
component parts were built under different contracts, often by 
different manufacturers, at different times, and with different 
technologies. The entire system is being developed and acquired by non-
traditional methods, which ensure we deploy effective defensive 
capabilities to our troops as fast as possible. And, of course, all of 
these pieces must work together as one, flawlessly, every time and on 
very short notice.
  Since the 1960s, Americans have dreamed of having this type of 
capability, and in the past 3 years we have made remarkable progress. 
None of this would have been possible if President Bush had not 
withdrawn the United States from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in 
June 2002. And much of our success can be attributed to the dedication 
and leadership of Major General Holly.
  Major General Holly was ideally prepared for his responsibilities at 
the Missile Defense Agency. His experiences at the platoon through 
corps levels gave him an understanding of what it means to support our 
men and women in uniform. His management experience in research, 
development, and acquisition--especially in rocket propulsion and 
guidance--honed his ability to integrate complex systems and move all 
of the essential parts through development at the same time.
  In short, Major General Holly was the right man, in the right place, 
at the right time for our missile defense needs. Americans are deeply 
indebted to him for answering the call to serve.
  Like many of my Senate colleagues, I often had the opportunity to 
meet with Major General Holly. Many of those visits took place in 
Alaska. And like many of my Senate colleagues, I have always been 
impressed with his integrity, commitment, and leadership skills.
  Under Major General Holly's leadership, we have cut a new path 
through uncharted territory. He personally oversaw the emplacement of 
silos and interceptors at Fort Greely, Alaska and Vandenberg Air Force 
Base, California. He showed what could be done if you provided the 
right guidance, tools, and motivation.
  Americans owe Major General Holly a debt of gratitude for a lifetime 
of selfless service and for his profound contributions to our Nation 
and our security. Those of us in the Senate will miss his leadership 
and his counsel. We wish him and his family all the best in the years 
ahead.

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