[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 18]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 24847]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   RECOGNITION OF UNPARALLELED CIVIL SERVICE BY MR. STEPHEN WHITMORE

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                            HON. JIM SAXTON

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 2, 2005

  Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, it is my distinct pleasure to highlight the 
extraordinary service of Mr. Stephen Whitmore, who is currently the 
operations officer for the Department of Public Works at Fort Dix, New 
Jersey. Born on July 16, 1923, Steve has selflessly served the Nation, 
the Army and Fort Dix for more than 60 of his 82 years.
  Mr. Whitmore's service began during World War II when he enlisted in 
the Army on July 19, 1943. As a soldier assigned to the 1st U.S. Army, 
he served as a participant in many of the major battles fought in 
central Europe from November 1944 until April 1946. On April 29, 1946, 
Steve completed his Army out-processing procedures and immediately 
began working as a Fort Dix Civil Service Employee.
  Since then, Mr. Whitmore has worked for the Directorate of Public 
Works, DPW, in a variety of capacities. As you would expect, Mr. 
Whitmore's impact on the facilities and infrastructure of Fort Dix has 
been enormous. The majority of the buildings currently utilized on Fort 
Dix were built after he arrived in 1945. Consequently, he participated 
in some manner in the construction of almost all of the facilities in 
use today and has continued to maintain and repair them throughout his 
60-year tenure. Furthermore, all of the utility systems on Fort Dix 
were either installed or expanded under his personal guidance. In fact, 
the current electrical grid system for the Installation is one that he 
designed and either helped construct with a crew of high-tension 
electricians or oversaw the construction in a supervisory capacity. 
Also occurring under his watch was the conversion of the Installation's 
heating systems from coal to oil to natural gas.
  In addition to Mr. Whitmore's consistent and exceptional execution of 
his core DPW responsibilities, he has been a key factor in ensuring the 
successful implementation of nontraditional missions. One of those 
events concerned a mission assigned to Fort Dix in 1999 entitled 
Operation Provide Refuge. In short, Fort Dix was tasked to provide 
temporary housing for over 4,000 Kosovar refugees. Therefore, in 
addition to performing his duties as Chief of the Public Works 
Division, Steve assumed responsibility for providing utilities for all 
of the temporary facilities, installing almost five miles of temporary 
fencing, constructing playgrounds, maintaining the grounds in all the 
areas of operation, constructing and installing signs throughout the 
Installation, establishing and rewiring a welcome center, assisting in 
the construction and installation of tent frames and even the 
installation of bed frames and mattresses in the dormitories. His 
overall work plan execution was magnificent and he guided his personnel 
through 18 hour work days, 7 days a week to get the work done, while 
still maintaining tremendous morale throughout his work force.
  Another monumental mission for which Mr. Whitmore's expertise and 
ingenuity ensured a successful outcome was the role he played in 
establishing the security of Fort Dix immediately following the 9/11 
terrorist attacks. This was a daunting task since the Installation had 
never been closed to through traffic in its 84-year history. He 
assembled a crew and equipment and worked with the police to close the 
Installation in a matter of hours. His expertise and unmatched 
knowledge of the Installation ensured that the dozens of means of 
access other than the main entry/exit points were identified and 
blocked. He has continued those efforts over the past 4 years to 
identify, develop and execute major projects to convert the temporary 
measures to permanent security barriers to include the installation of 
a 3\1/2\-mile-long security fence.
  Mr. Whitmore's most recent accomplishment pertains to the exceptional 
work he has done on the development and execution of projects to 
establish a Forward Operating Base, FOB, to provide vital, realistic 
training to our soldiers being mobilized in support of the Global War 
on Terror. Steve planned and supervised the construction of the FOB, 
which is the largest, most complex FOB in the continental United 
States. Based on his actions, the FOB was built and maintained to a 
standard that allows the FOB to house, service, and provide realistic 
field training to approximately 2000 mobilizing soldiers at one time. 
Whether it was the electrical system, which he designed and had 
executed, the water and drain systems so that the Soldiers could take 
showers, the heating of the tents and even the clearing of the roads 
when it snowed, he was the one who made it all happen. Mr. Whitmore had 
the ideas, the ability to bring the ideas to resolution and ambition, 
energy and interest to accomplish whatever was necessary to make the 
FOB a success.
  To this day he continues to provide the oversight for all utility 
services. His knowledge of the systems is legendary as is his ability 
to trouble shoot and quickly correct all system problems. He is a 
shining example of someone who adheres to the Army values in both his 
professional and personnel life. A man of strong resolve and unmatched 
abilities, Steve is a true patriot worthy of our Nation's thanks and 
praise.

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