[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 18037-18038]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   IN HONOR OF GENERAL C. ROBERT KEHLER, COMMANDER, AIR FORCE SPACE 
                                COMMAND

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DOUG LAMBORN

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 18, 2010

  Mr. LAMBORN. Madam Speaker, let me take this opportunity to pay 
tribute to General C. Robert Kehler. The President of the United States 
nominated him to be the next Commander of United States Strategic 
Command. General Kehler became Commander of Air Force Space Command in 
October 2007 and he leads the world's greatest space and cyberspace 
force.
  General Kehler entered the Air Force in 1975 as a distinguished 
graduate of the Pennsylvania State University Air Force Reserve Officer 
Training Corps program. His exemplary Air Force career is marked by 
command at the squadron, group and wing levels, and a broad range of 
experience in intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) operations, 
space launch, space operations, missile warning, and space control.
  General Kehler began his illustrious career as a Minuteman Combat 
Crewmember. His Air Force journey would take him and his wife, 
Marjorie, through a series of Air Force and Joint assignments. As the 
Chief of the Strategic Missile Branch in the Secretary of the Air 
Force's Office of Legislative Liaison, he was the Secretary's point man 
on Capitol Hill for matters regarding the President's ICBM 
Modernization Program. As Director of the National Security Space 
Office, he integrated the activities of a number of space organizations 
on behalf of the Under Secretary of the Air Force and Director, 
National Reconnaissance Office. Prior to assuming his current position, 
General Kehler was the Deputy Commander, U.S. Strategic Command.
  In his current assignment as Commander, Air Force Space Command, 
General Kehler is responsible for organizing, equipping, training and 
maintaining mission-ready space and cyberspace forces and capabilities 
for North American Aerospace Defense Command, U.S. Strategic Command, 
and other combatant commands around the world. He provides 
inspirational leadership to more than 46,000 personnel responsible for 
mission areas ranging from assured access to space to on-orbit space 
operations, space situational awareness, and cyberspace operations. 
General Kehler's dynamic leadership capabilities were vital to the 
transfer of the ICBM mission to the newly established Air Force Global 
Strike

[[Page 18038]]

Command and in standing up the 24th Air Force to execute the Air 
Force's cyberspace mission. His decisive and visionary leadership of 
Air Force Space Command earned National Defense Industrial Association 
recognition as the 2009 Hartinger Award winner for ``Outstanding 
Achievement in the Military Space Mission of the United States.''
  Madam Speaker, the American people have been fortunate to have 
General Kehler serving as the Commander of Air Force Space Command for 
the past three years. Marjorie, and their two sons, Matt and Jared, can 
be proud of his fine character and dedication to service. He will be 
greatly missed in Colorado Springs, but the community's loss is the 
country's gain. I know my fellow Members of the House of 
Representatives will join me in thanking him for his continued 
commitment to his country.

                          ____________________