[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 8429]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




PAYING TRIBUTE TO COLONEL ROBERT KIRK LAWRENCE'S 30 YEARS OF SERVICE TO 
                               OUR NATION

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. C.W. BILL YOUNG

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 31, 2011

  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Colonel 
Robert ``Kirk'' Lawrence for his extraordinary dedication to duty and 
service to the United States of America. Colonel Lawrence will retire 
from active military duty in May 2011 after 30 distinguished years of 
service to the United States Army.
  Colonel Lawrence was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Air 
Defense Artillery following his graduation from the United States 
Military Academy at West Point in 1981. He has served in the 82nd 
Airborne Division, the United States Army Air Defense Artillery School, 
1st Cavalry Division, 4th Infantry Division, III Corps, V Corps, United 
States Army Europe and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Colonel 
Lawrence assumed command of the 69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade in 
Giebelstadt, Germany in 2003. In 2005, he was hand selected to serve as 
the Executive Officer to the Commander, Allied Land Component Command 
of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, in Heidelberg. Afterwards, 
Colonel Lawrence was assigned as the Deputy Chief of Staff to the 
United States Army European Command. In 2008, he was assigned as the 
Executive Officer to the Deputy Commanding General of the United States 
Army European Command. Within these assignments, Colonel Lawrence has 
successfully commanded every unit from a Battery to a Brigade in the 
United States Army. He is a decorated combat veteran and has been 
awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit and the 
Bronze Star Medal.
  Mr. Speaker, It has been a pleasure to work with Colonel Lawrence 
over the last decade. Twice he has served as the United States Army 
Congressional Budget Liaison Chief. Both times while in this position, 
Colonel Lawrence has served the Army and Nation exceptionally well 
during a time of protracted war. He served first in 2002, after the 
initial attacks on September 11th 2001, Colonel Lawrence labored to 
man, arm and equip our Army Soldiers from one at peace to one committed 
in two separate wars. In January of 2009, he returned to this strategic 
assignment and has been instrumental in significantly improving our 
Armed Forces equipment modernization efforts and funding critical 
systems affecting the Department of Defense and the Combatant 
Commanders everyday.
  As the Congressional Budget Liaison Chief, Colonel Lawrence gathered 
information, prepared strategies and recommended Army positions for 
corresponding with Congress on all appropriations issues. Additionally, 
he organized briefings and responded to requests for information across 
all appropriations for Congressional Members, their staff and the 
Committee Staff Directors and Professional Staff Members. Colonel 
Lawrence coordinated and traveled with Congressional delegations for 
fact-finding opportunities and education on a multitude of Army 
programs. The impact of his efforts will benefit the United States Army 
for decades to come. Throughout his time in the Capitol, Colonel 
Lawrence has been a trusted liaison to myself and my colleagues on the 
Appropriations Committee and has worked tirelessly to ensure that the 
Army had the resources it needed to fight and win our nation's wars.
  This Commissioned Officer has continued the traditions of the United 
States Army and is an American hero who has been selfless in his 
service to the Nation through war, peace, and personal trial. When 
history looks back at this leader and his legacy it will be clear that 
his abilities as a trainer, leader, advisor, Commander and Soldier 
produced the best Army in the world.
  Mr. Speaker, On behalf of a grateful Nation, I join my colleagues 
today in saying thank you to Colonel Robert ``Kirk'' Lawrence for his 
extraordinary dedication to duty and service to this country throughout 
his distinguished career in the United States Army and we wish him, his 
wife Lisa and two sons, Jake and Adam, all the best in his well-
deserved retirement.

                          ____________________