[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 20]
[Senate]
[Page 27709]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO DR. WILLIAM McCORKLE

 Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, it is an honor to recognize Dr. 
William McCorkle, who after 52 years of extraordinary service to our 
Nation, is retiring from Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, AL.
  In the words of Napoleon Bonaparte, ``Victory belongs to the most 
persevering.''
  Dr. McCorkle is a person who has used his perseverance, 
determination, and forthrightness not only to personally succeed in the 
Army but more importantly to do what is best for our warfighters.
  A 1950 graduate of the University of Richmond with a bachelor of 
science degree in Physics and a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of 
Tennessee in 1956, Dr. McCorkle came to Redstone in 1957 from a 
position at Tulane University.
  Not since Dr. Wernher von Braun has one man done more to promote 
rocket development at Redstone than Dr. McCorkle. Since he joined the 
Aviation and Missile Command, Dr. McCorkle has been a pillar in the 
aviation and missile research and development fields.
  As director of the Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and 
Engineering Center, Dr. McCorkle is an internationally recognized 
leader in aviation and missile technology, and has been involved in 
virtually every Army rocket and missile development program since 1956. 
He helped build the very foundation that has made the U.S. Army's 
aviation and missile programs so successful.
  Dr. McCorkle's efforts have been instrumental in taking engineering 
ideas and transforming them into weapon systems. Dr. McCorkle was key 
in the development of the Prototype Integration Facility which has 
transformed the Army's rapid response capability to meet the needs of 
the soldier in the battlefield.
  This facility is on the forefront of providing our servicemembers 
with quick solutions to critical problems they currently face in 
combat. Dr. McCorkle's work on this initiative has led to the building 
of a world-class research program at Redstone Arsenal valued at over 
$1.2 billion.
  More importantly, he has dramatically increased rapid prototyping 
efforts that have led to significant advancements to unmanned aerial 
vehicles at use today in combat.
  Dr. McCorkle has effectively championed the use and growth of 
unmanned aerial vehicles and the new capabilities that have increased 
their value in combat. In conjunction with the Air Force, Dr. 
McCorkle's team led the development of advanced technology to arm 
predator unmanned aerial vehicles with Hellfire missiles. This program 
is now one of the most successful weapon systems being used today in 
Afghanistan and Iraq.
  Under Dr. McCorkle's guidance, aviation research has also flourished. 
The Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center 
is heavily involved in the research and development initiatives behind 
many of the most utilized Army helicopter programs, including those on 
the Apache, Black Hawk, and Chinook helicopters.
  After the rapid development of blue force tracking, a new capability 
that tracks the location of friendly and hostile military forces, units 
overseas were able to install this technology directly in the field.
  Continuously, throughout Operation Iraqi Freedom, it was reported 
that blue force tracking systems were working flawlessly, even allowing 
troops to fly in formation during sandstorms and brown-out conditions. 
This is an invaluable advancement for our soldiers and Dr. McCorkle 
ensured it was delivered to our servicemembers in the field at a 
critical time.
  Dr. McCorkle's work has significantly improved technology development 
and reduced the time to field equipment, ensuring our warfighters are 
the best equipped fighting force in the world. His work has also 
reduced the cost of these programs for the taxpayer.
  Under his direction, the Aviation and Missile Research, Development, 
and Engineering Center developed the Department of Defense's Best Value 
Engineering Program, which has consistently achieved 70 percent of the 
Army Materiel Command's total savings and 30 percent of the 
Department's total savings. His Service Life Prediction Program has 
achieved over $8 billion in cost avoidance.
  Dr. McCorkle has been on the forefront of new technology to provide 
our warfighters with the best equipment and our nation the best defense 
from those who wish to threaten us.
  Under his guidance and leadership, the Aviation and Missile Research, 
Development, and Engineering Center was consistently recognized as an 
Army Materiel Command Laboratory of Excellence and formally recognized 
as the Army's best laboratory eight times.
  I thank Dr. McCorkle for his years of service to our Nation, the Army 
and, most importantly, the warfighter. He has been a genuine asset to 
both the Service and the warfighter.
  In everything he did, Dr. McCorkle strove for excellence in himself 
and sought to inspire the same in those around him.
  His leadership, experience, and expertise have advanced our rocket, 
missile, and aviation programs beyond what was ever imagined when he 
first came to work for the Army. I am proud to have worked with Dr. 
McCorkle for over 30 years, but I am even more honored to call him my 
friend.
  Dr. McCorkle, I wish you and your wife Nancy the very best as you 
enjoy your well-deserved retirement.

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