[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15938]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                IN RECOGNITION OF COLONEL TODD R. SMITH

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BRAD ELLSWORTH

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 14, 2007

  Mr. ELLSWORTH. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend Colonel Todd R. 
Smith for his extraordinary service as Commander of Crane Army 
Ammunition Activity (CAAA) in Crane, Indiana. Colonel Smith has been 
selected to serve as the Chief of Staff for the Joint Munitions Command 
in Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois. Rock Island's gain is Crane Army's 
loss. I know I speak for everyone at Crane when I say that Colonel 
Smith leaves a strong legacy of achievement and CAAA is a more 
efficient operation because of his leadership and service.
  Colonel Smith, a native of Bluefield, West Virginia, arrived at Crane 
Army in July 2004 as a highly regarded and decorated leader in the Army 
having served in leadership positions in Germany, Korea and the U.S. He 
also commanded the Lone Star Army Ammunition Plant in Texarkana, Texas 
from July 1999 to July 2001. Prior to arriving at CAAA, Colonel Smith 
served as Chief, C/J4 Munitions Division, Combined Forces Command and 
United States Forces Korea.
  Colonel Smith's vision and leadership at Crane Army, particularly 
through his focused implementation of the Lean Six Sigma and Continuous 
Improvement, has resulted in the creation of an organizational culture 
that resulted in increased efficiency and quality of service throughout 
all operational areas at CAAA. In fact, Colonel Smith was able to 
decrease annual project costs by $2.6 million while maintaining the 
expected high level of production.
  The Crane Continuous Improvement program highlights the determined 
leadership Colonel Smith has provided at CAAA. Under his leadership, 
CAAA has produced 6 Lean Six Sigma Black Belts, 40 Lean Six Sigma Green 
Belts, 22 Lean Six Sigma Executive Leaders, and 24 Lean Six Sigma 
Project Sponsors. CAAA's establishment of the Ammunition, 
Transportation, Tracking, and Control Center (ATTACC) remains the 
hallmark of the Continuous Improvement program. ATTACC, located on base 
at CAAA, allows depot operators to utilize proactive logistics through 
a shared computer application. The result is more accurate schedules 
and efficient planning for the processing of ammunitions receipts and 
issues. ATTACC is a sterling example of Crane Army's mission statement, 
``Only Our Best for the World's Best!''
  It is a testament to Colonel Smith's leadership that CAAA has been 
nationally recognized for excellence. CAAA was honored with a 2006 
White House Closing the Circle Award for environmental contributions by 
the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive. CAAA was also 
honored in 2006 with the Indiana Governor's Award for Environmental 
Excellence. On a personal level, Colonel Smith has been awarded with 
many honors throughout his distinguished career in the Army. Among 
these awards are the Defense Superior Service Medal, Defense 
Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation 
Medal, Parachute Badge, and the Army Staff Identification Badge.
  Madam Speaker, I commend Colonel Smith for his outstanding service to 
his country and to Crane Army. I wish him the best as he takes his new 
leadership position with the Joint Munitions Command.

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