[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 5043]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        COLONEL PETE BUNCE, USAF

  Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, today I would like to pay tribute to 
Colonel Pete Bunce of the United States Air Force. Over the past few 
years, he has earned my personal thanks many times over for a job well 
done.
  Many of us in the Senate know Colonel Bunce, who for the last 3 years 
has served as liaison to the both the Budget and Appropriations 
Committees. He has been a strong advocate for the Air Force and has 
worked tirelessly to improve communications between the Air Force and 
the Senate.
  Colonel Bunce has been a good friend to the State of North Dakota and 
to this Senator. He has provided important assistance to me in 
organizing many meetings with the top leadership of the Air Force and 
the Department of Defense. Community leaders from the three North 
Dakota communities with the closest ties to the Air Force--Fargo, Grand 
Forks, and Minot--have all been able to join me for high-level Pentagon 
visits thanks to his help. He and his staff have also always been 
tremendously helpful in the Budget Committee's deliberations on 
national defense spending.
  His professional advice helped me better understand the costs and 
sacrifices made by our military personnel during this war. I know many 
of my colleagues feel the same way. His personal testimony as the 
parent of a troop in harm's way was even more valuable. Pete's son, 
Justin, came home wounded from Iraq. Just as he was recovering from 
that injury, he was in a serious car accident. I want Pete to know that 
he, Justin, and the entire Bunce family are in my thoughts and prayers.
  While I have relied on Colonel Bunce's military advice, I have valued 
his friendship even more. Pete, as you enter into a well deserved 
retirement, please know that you go with the best wishes of this 
Senator and all of us in the Senate.

                          ____________________