[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Page 10038]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                TRIBUTE TO REAR ADMIRAL THOMAS P. OSTEBO

 Ms. MURKOWSKI. Madam President, I wish to thank RADM Thomas P. 
Ostebo for his leadership as commander of the U.S. Coast Guard's 17th 
District. In this role Rear Admiral Ostebo was responsible for all 
Coast Guard assets and operations in Alaska--operations that were 
safely executed in some of the country's harshest and most demanding 
conditions. From May 2011 to June 2014, Rear Admiral Ostebo was the 
head Coast Guard official in Alaska, leading 2,500 Active Duty, 
Reserve, civilian, and auxiliary personnel, all charged to keep the 
largest State, with over 44,000 miles of coastline, safe, secure, and 
prosperous. Under his leadership, Rear Admiral Ostebo's crews 
successfully executed this mission by conducting over 1,600 search and 
rescue cases, saving 519 lives and assisting more than 2,200 
individuals.
  In addition to commanding this courageous cadre of Coast Guard men 
and women, Rear Admiral Ostebo remained a consistent champion for the 
State of Alaska. He was a leader on Arctic issues on many different 
levels. He recognized the importance of the Arctic trade routes and 
launched operation Arctic Shield, the Coast Guard's seasonal Arctic 
operation, to ensure the safe transit of commercial shipping routes, 
maintain Alaska's wild and sustainably managed fisheries, and sustain a 
ready response to any rescue mission at a moment's notice. Further, 
Rear Admiral Ostebo fostered many important partnerships with Alaska 
Natives and leadership that shared best practices and traditional 
knowledge of those that rely on the Arctic for subsistence.
  On behalf of all Alaskans I want to personally thank Rear Admiral 
Ostebo for the great work he has performed during his command in 
Alaska. I wish him the best of luck as he transitions to the next phase 
of his career. He will be greatly missed in Alaska.

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