[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 14317]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      COMMENDING THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS--OMAHA DISTRICT

 Mr. NELSON of Nebraska. Mr. President, today I wish to 
recognize the 75th anniversary year of the establishment of the Omaha 
District as part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
  Established on January 2, 1934, the immediate mission of the Omaha 
District was the creation of Fort Peck Dam in Montana, which was the 
first of six multipurpose main stem dams operating as part of a flood 
control system on the upper Missouri River. After completing the Fort 
Peck Dam, the Corps, operating under the Pick-Sloan Plan, went on to 
build the other five main stem structures on the Upper Missouri River. 
The Plan called for a coordinated effort with the Bureau of Reclamation 
for irrigation projects, flood control, navigation, and recreation 
facilities.
  In the early 1940s, the Omaha District added military construction to 
its mission. Its first task was construction of Lowry Field in 
Colorado. Since then, the Omaha District has been involved in the 
construction of several historic projects, such as the Northern Area 
Defense Command in Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado; various missile control 
and launch facilities throughout the Midwest; and facilities for Space 
Command.
  As the Cold War ended in the 1980s, the national focus switched to a 
stronger set of environmental principles. The Omaha District readily 
adopted a ``green'' program, providing outstanding leadership in 
environmental remediation. Today, the Omaha District is managing one of 
the largest base realignment and closure and ``Grow the Army'' 
initiatives in the Nation.
  For more than 75 years, the men and women of the Omaha District have 
served their country by harnessing the mighty Missouri River basin, 
building state-of-the-art facilities to serve our military, and 
recovering the earth from hazardous toxic and radioactive waste.
  It is only fitting that we in the Senate recognize the impressive 
achievements of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers--Omaha District during 
its 75th year.

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