[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Page 18313]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   DEFENSE LEGISLATIVE FELLOW PROGRAM

  Mr. BURR. Mr. President, I rise to recognize the Defense Legislative 
Fellow Program and honor the fellows whom I have come to know well 
during their service in my office since 2009. These individuals have 
been among our Nation's best and brightest and they come to Congress 
each year to impart their knowledge to Members and their staffs and 
leave with a better awareness of the political process and the tireless 
and often unheralded work that congressional staff undertake each and 
every day. In the past 2 years I have had the pleasure of having three 
defense fellows work in my office: LTC Brooks Tucker, U.S. Marine 
Corps; MAJ Vaughan Byrum, U.S. Army; and MAJ Brett Robinson, U.S. Air 
Force.
  As a testament to their abilities, MAJ Vaughan Byrum, a 14-year Army 
officer, prior enlisted soldier, and veteran of the two deployments to 
Iraq, is now serving as one of a handful of promising and capable 
officers representing the Army in the Senate Liaison Office, and Major 
Robinson is completing his tenure in my office and preparing for 
another demanding assignment in the Washington, DC, area. As an officer 
in the Marine Corps Reserve, LTC Brooks Tucker started as a fellow in 
my office in 2009, just when I was assigned a spot on the Senate Armed 
Services Committee. He has served on both my personal office and 
Veterans' Affairs Committee staffs, and he has been a tireless advocate 
for North Carolina's veterans and Active-Duty families and has been the 
critical lynchpin in my efforts to help the service-members and 
families who were impacted by contamination while serving at Camp 
Lejeune.
  I want to express my gratitude to all three of these defense fellows 
for their service to the U.S. Senate and the people of North Carolina.
  Major Byrum came to my office after completing a tough and demanding 
tour of duty in Baghdad, training and mentoring the provincial police 
and assisting with the critical transition from coalition to Iraqi 
responsibility and control. Like many combat veterans whom I have met 
over the years, Major Byrum is the epitome of professionalism, 
possesses a warm sense of humor, and conducts himself with humility and 
impeccable bearing. A graduate of North Carolina A&T University and a 
leader in the Reserve Officer Training Corps, Vaughan has a heart as 
big as his linebacker frame. He is fondly remembered by my staff, who 
went out of their way to welcome him back to the Senate after an 
interim assignment serving in the Pentagon. His can-do attitude and 
self-effacing demeanor will serve him well as he works with Senators 
and staff in the months ahead. I know his wife Andrea and daughter 
Victoria are very proud of him. I realize the Byrum family has made 
numerous sacrifices and endured lengthy separations, and they, like so 
many others in the military, have borne that burden quietly, with 
courage and grace.
  Major Robinson has worked diligently in my Washington office for the 
past year and ably served the people of North Carolina. Before joining 
the Senate, Major Robinson served as the special operations program 
manager for the Air National Guard overseeing the special operations 
budget supporting over 1,000 personnel and 9 aircraft. As a traditional 
Air Guardsman, he serves as a C-130 pilot with the Pennsylvania Air 
National Guard. Prior to his recent assignments in Washington, DC, 
Major Robinson completed combat deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan and 
garnered operational experience on the African Continent, Europe, and 
Asia. A distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, he has 
served as a tactics officer, pilot, and flight commander and is the 
recipient of numerous personal decorations for meritorious service over 
his 13 years in uniform.
  His tireless work and patient manner has not gone unnoticed, whether 
it be helping a Vietnam combat veteran receive a long overdue 
decoration for valor, offering operational perspectives on air 
operations in Afghanistan and Libya, or working in concert with 
military commanders and civilian leaders in North Carolina to address 
veterans' needs.
  And to Jori, his wife, who is also an Air Force officer, thank you 
for your support and sacrifice as you balance the demands and confront 
the challenges of life in service to this Nation. I enjoyed meeting you 
and your sons, Grayson and Kiernan, and I know Major Robinson couldn't 
do what he does without your love and support.
  I have gotten to know Major Robinson and Major Byrum quite well in 
the past 2 years. For men with so many rich life experiences and career 
accomplishments to be proud of, they truly epitomize the moniker 
``quiet professional'' and exude a measured demeanor, consistent 
competency, and genuine modesty that has made them trusted advisers to 
me and my staff and garnered our admiration and affection. In sum, they 
are superb examples of the finest military in the world.
  From interns in my office to constituents in the State, to all of my 
staff in North Carolina, Major Byrum and Major Robinson have impressed 
us at every turn and succeeded in educating us about the honor, 
tradition, and sacrifices made every day by our service men and women 
overseas, especially those of the National Guard.
  Thank you, MAJ Vaughan M. Byrum and MAJ Brett B. Robinson, for your 
distinguished year of service to the people of North Carolina and for 
your continued commitment to protecting our Nation and the prosperity 
of all Americans.

                          ____________________