[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Page 10129]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO COLONEL ANTHONY WRIGHT

 Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, it is with great privilege that I 
congratulate COL Anthony Wright, Seattle district engineer for the U.S. 
Army Corps of Engineers, on his well-deserved retirement after 30 years 
with the Army Corps. Colonel Wright has been stationed with the Seattle 
District for 3 years and my staff and I have had the pleasure of 
working extensively with him during that time.
  Western Washington State has suffered several severe storms in the 
last few years, resulting in devastating floods, major losses of 
infrastructure, and millions of dollars of damage to homes and 
businesses. Under Colonel Wright's leadership, the Army Corps responded 
quickly and efficiently to minimize the threats of rising floodwaters, 
and for this we are very grateful. His professionalism and expertise 
helped our region through disasters and undoubtedly lessened the 
destruction and prevented the loss of life.
  An example of Colonel Wright's leadership ability was his response to 
a storm that caused serious damage to the Howard Hanson Dam in King 
County, raising the flood threat for hundreds of thousands of residents 
in the Green River Valley, which is home to one of the largest 
manufacturing and distribution bases on the West Coast. Colonel Wright 
and the Army Corps reacted quickly and decisively to counter this 
vulnerability, working with local governments and the public to ensure 
that the region was prepared until the dam could be repaired.
  On behalf of all Washingtonians, I thank Colonel Wright for his 
dedication to the safety and well-being of the people of western 
Washington. His knowledge, experience, and tireless effort will be 
sorely missed. I congratulate Colonel Wright and wish he and his family 
the best of luck in their future endeavors.

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