[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Page 19176]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                TRIBUTE TO CAPTAIN KENNETH J. PANOS, USN

  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I rise to recognize and pay tribute to 
CAPT Kenneth J. Panos, U.S. Navy. Captain Panos will retire from the 
Navy on September 1, 2005, having completed an exemplary 26-year career 
of service to our Nation.
  Captain Panos was born in Union, NJ, and is a 1979 graduate of the 
U.S. Naval Academy. He also earned a masters degree in Financial 
Management from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA.
  During his military career, Captain Panos excelled at all facets of 
his chosen profession. As a naval aviator, he deployed to South America 
and the Caribbean. While serving aboard USS Paul (FF 1096), Captain 
Panos participated in peacekeeping operations in the waters off Beirut, 
Lebanon.
  In 1986, Captain Panos was redesignated a full-time support officer 
in the Navy Reserve. He reported aboard Helicopter Anti-Submarine 
Squadron (Light)-94 as the head of the Maintenance, Training and 
Administration Departments and achieved 1,000 flight hours in the SH-2F 
Seasprite while deployed aboard various Navy Reserve Force frigates. 
His outstanding capacity for leadership was recognized when he was 
selected as the HSL-94 Junior Officer of the Year in 1988. During 
Captain Panos' tour as the assistant reserve programs director/reserve 
service officer and later department head at Naval Air Station Willow 
Grove, he transitioned to fixed-wing aircraft and achieved an airline 
transport pilot rating while flying the UC-12B transport.
  Captain Panos made good use of his graduate degree in financial 
management with assignments in the Aviation Budgets and Requirements 
Office; the Chief of Naval Operations' Staff where he was assistant for 
aircraft procurement; research, design, test & evaluation; and ship 
construction appropriations; the Office of the Assistant Secretary of 
the Navy for Financial Management; and as the director, Programming and 
Financial Management Division for the Chief of Navy Reserve. Many of my 
colleagues know Captain Panos from his service as the Navy's 
legislative affairs liaison for Reserve matters and anti-terrorism/
force protection programs.
  The U.S. Navy is a better Navy thanks in part to the talent and 
dedication of CAPT Kenneth J. Panos. While Captain Panos' retirement 
means the Navy will lose a fine officer, I am happy to report to this 
body that he has found a replacement. His oldest son, Michael, is 
currently a midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy. His youngest son, 
Robert, is a sophomore at Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax, 
Virginia. I know all of my colleagues join me in congratulating Ken, 
his hometown sweetheart and wife Karen, as well as Michael and Robert, 
on the completion of an outstanding military career.

                          ____________________