III

104TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. RES. 255

To honor Admiral Jeremy M. ‘‘Mike’’ Boorda.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

MAY 21, 1996

Mr. LOTT (for himself, Mr. THURMOND, Mr. NUNN, Mr. WARNER, Mr.

COHEN, Mr. SANTORUM, Mr. INHOFE, Mr. KEMPTHORNE, Mr. BINGAMAN, Mr. COATS, Mr. SMITH, Mr. EXON, Mrs. HUTCHISON, Mr. MCCAIN,

Mr. DASCHLE, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. AKAKA, Mr. BRADLEY, Ms. MIKULSKI,

Mr. BRYAN, Mr. SARBANES, Mr. DORGAN, Mr. LIEBERMAN, Mr. SIMON,

Mr. GRAHAM, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. GLENN, Mr. REID, Mr. JOHNSTON,

Mr. ROBB, Mr. INOUYE, Mr. KOHL, Mr. FORD, Mr. KERREY, Mr. DODD,

Mr. BUMPERS, Mr. PELL, Mr. FEINGOLD, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. MOYNIHAN,

Mr. KENNEDY, Mrs. BOXER, Mrs. MURRAY, and Ms. MOSELEY-BRAUN)

submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to

RESOLUTION

To honor Admiral Jeremy M. ‘‘Mike’’ Boorda.

Whereas Admiral Jeremy M. ‘‘Mike’’ Boorda was the 25th

Chief of Naval Operations;

Whereas, as the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Boorda

commanded the foremost Navy in the World;

Whereas Admiral Boorda’s career in the Navy reflected his

lifelong dedication to the United States and to the principles he held dear—duty, honor, and commitment;

Whereas Admiral Boorda is the only member of the Navy

ever to rise from the lowest enlisted grade to the position
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of Chief of Naval Operations, and this rise gave him a

full and unique perspective on the opportunities and obligations of command;

Whereas this perspective instilled in Admiral Boorda an unwavering concern for the members of the Navy and their

families;

Whereas, as Commander-in-Chief of NATO forces in Southern Europe, Admiral Boorda ordered the first offensive

use of deadly force in the history of NATO, an air strike

in February 1994 against four Bosnian Serb aircraft flying in violation of a United Nations ban on such flights;

Whereas Admiral Boorda was a visionary in naval strategy

who recognized that circumstances in the post-Cold War

era made necessary a strategy that retained a forward

presence for the Navy even as it recognized that future

Navy operations would most likely occur in the littoral

zones of the world;

Whereas this strategy, which Admiral Boorda called ‘‘Forward . . .From the Sea’’, will serve as the basis for Navy

strategy well into the 21st century;

Whereas Admiral Boorda was a visionary in naval technology

who spearheaded programs for the development of the arsenal ship, the new attack submarine, theater ballistic

missile defense, and cooperative engagement capabilities;

Whereas these programs, and many others spearheaded by

Admiral Boorda, put the Navy on the cutting edge of

technology and did so in an efficient, affordable, flexible

manner;

Whereas Admiral Boorda recognized the need for the Navy

to develop a strategy for utilizing emerging technology effectively and developed in response to that need the plan
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known as ‘‘20/20 Vision’’, a long-range plan for the acquisition and utilization of technology in the future in

order to achieve the strategic objectives of the United

States; and

Whereas it is fitting that Admiral Boorda be remembered as

he described Admiral Arleigh Burke when saying that

‘‘. . . he defined what it means to be a naval officer: relentless in combat, resourceful in command, and revered

by his crews . . . He was, indeed, a sailor’s sailor.’’: Now,

therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the Senate honors Admiral Jeremy M.

2 ‘‘Mike’’ Boorda for a career that included extraordinary

3 contributions to the defense of the United States and a

4 singular commitment to the members of the Navy and

5 thereby exemplified all the best qualities in an officer in

6 the United States Navy.

Æ