Back ||NOAA Home VADM Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., USN (Ret.) Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere Remarks at Assumption of Command Ceremony Washington, D.C., HCHB 1000-1100 Sept. 10, 2004 Good morning! I am delighted that you're all here today to celebrate the assumption of command and well-deserved appointments of two outstanding officers, Rear Admiral Samuel P. De bow, Jr. and Rear Admiral Richard R. Behn. I am pleased to recognize many NOAA friends here today. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Ted Kassinger, Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Dr. Samuel Bodman who will be here in a little while, RADM Kenneth Moritsugu, Deputy Surgeon General of the U.S. Public Health Service, our friends in the U.S. Coast Guard and the Navy, including the Oceanographer of the Navy, Admiral Steven Tomaszeski. We also have with us our friends from the House and the Senate, including Scott Gudes - welcome back, Scott! I am pleased to see Admiral Evelyn Fields and other NOAA Corps admirals who have helped shape America's 7th service, and Dr. William Hooke, now at the American Meteorological Society. Thank you for helping us out today, Bill. Secretary Colin Powell said that "If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude." Both Sam and Rich embody this approach. It is the key reason they are assuming new commands—Sam as the Director of the NOAA Corps and Director of the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations, and Rich as the Director of NOAA's Marine and Aviation Operations Centers. In appointing Sam and Rich to these major posts, President Bush and Secretary of Commerce Evans have invested their trust and confidence wisely. In the years ahead, both Rich and Sam will have enormous responsibilities. Today, I want to talk about two important and vital parts of commerce and NOAA, the NOAA Corps and NMAO---NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations. NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations manage. The fleet of ships and aircraft is operated and managed by NOAA Corps officers and marine and civilian employees. They operate and maintain NOAA's fleet of 17 ships and 13 aircraft. Never has this mission been more important. NOAA's fleet of specialized ships and aircraft is vital to both America's homeland security, and to fulfilling NOAA's environmental and scientific missions. They have played outstanding roles in many of America's history-making events. They mapped the wreckage of the World Trade Center and Pentagon following the 9/11 attacks; assessed environmental damage from the EXXON VALDEZ spill; and facilitated recovery during several national disasters, including the downing of TWA flight 800, John F. Kennedy Jr.'s aircraft and Egypt Air flight 990. NOAA Corps pilots fly into hurricanes at dangerously low altitudes (below 10,000 feet). I have every confidence that the future will be just as remarkable. Our fleet is growing and we recently acquired our first vessel dedicated to ocean exploration. NOAA will soon commission the OSCAR DYSON, a fishery survey vessel, and a second fishery survey vessel is under construction. A newly acquired twin otter aircraft will soon take to the skies. If the upcoming report by the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy is adopted, we can look ahead to even wider horizons. Like the use of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles and Unmanned Undersea Vehicles to carry out NOAA's mission. Secretary Powell has another saying "You don't know what you can get away with until you try." And that's also a good picture of Sam and Rich. Both have pursued their visions and pushed aside boundaries in successfully attaining their goals. Sam and Rich grew up less than 100 miles from each other - Sam in Philadelphia and Rich in central New Jersey. Both grew up near the coast which explains their interest in ocean resources As Commanding Officer of NOAA Ship RUDE, Rear Admiral De Bow responded to several significant national events like TWA flight 800. I am especially pleased that he will be at the helm of the NOAA Corps as we near the 200th anniversary of the Survey of the Coast, which was established by Thomas Jefferson in 1807. The NOAA Corps traces its roots to Jefferson's vision, and its first mission was charting America's coastlines to support commerce. Sam's expertise is aligned closely with this mission. His vision and commitment boosted development of the coastal and ocean mapping joint hydrographic center at the University of New Hampshire. This dynamic new program is now a nexus for the private sector, government and academia to pursue groundbreaking education and research. I know that Sam sees NOAA ships as being "true NOAA ships," not just fisheries or hydro survey ships. When he was Chief of the Hydro Survey Division, for instance, he shared "days at sea" with our sanctuaries and ocean exploration programs to help map underwater habitat. These collaborative efforts promoted efficiency with respect to ship time, data collection and addressing programmatic goals beyond those of the hydro survey division. Rear Admiral Rich Behn is the second half of our new team - and he, too, brings an excellent track record to his new command. Aboard three oceanographic research ships, Rich sailed from the arctic to the Antarctic. During his last sea tour, he served as Executive Officer, and then as Commanding Officer of the NOAA Ship MCARTHUR. He's done pretty well on land, too. In 1998, Rich chaired Commerce's Combined Federal Campaign, raising over $2.5 million. The day he arrived to serve as deputy to Scott Gudes, then acting Under Secretary of NOAA, Scott was asked to temporarily take the reins as acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce. As a result, rich managed much of NOAA during a pivotal period. As executive director to NOAA's third highest ranking officer, he went on to help manage NOAA's 12,500 employees and a $3.3 billion budget. Rich added many human touches. He inspired "Access NOAA," NOAA's first online employee newsletter, which went on to win national awards. The popular employee and team member of the month awards were also his creations. Rich has mentored countless employees and there are staff who say they have stayed at NOAA just because of Rich. I know that NMAO and the NOAA Corps will be in outstanding hands. I also know that safety and quality of service - both to our country and our employees - will be top priorities. Congratulations, Rear Admiral De Bow, and Rear Admiral Behn on your exemplary track records and future successes. Thanks to your families for their steadfast support over many years and thanks for your continuing service to America!