[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 10] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page 13868] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]TRIBUTE TO PATRICIA FROUNFELKER ______ HON. C.A. DUTCH RUPPERSBERGER of maryland in the house of representatives Wednesday, June 25, 2008 Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Madam Speaker, I rise before you today to honor Patricia Frounfelker, recently nominated for the 2008 Service to America Call to Service Medal. Ms. Frounfelker is being nominated for her studies of potential hazards and risks associated with U.S. combat vehicles. Ms. Frounfelker's research on these hazards has led to safety improvements that are minimizing risks for our Nation's soldiers on the front line. In her three years of government service with the Army Research Laboratory at Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland, Patricia Frounfelker has become a leading expert in analyzing and characterizing the survivability of U.S. Army soldiers to a wide variety of potential risks. Most recently, she examined the potential for reactive armor to cause collateral injuries to troops who are near a tactical vehicle that is under attack. Ms. Frounfelker developed a detailed test plan to characterize reactive armor tiles being sent to Iraq for use on the Abrams tank. She collected and analyzed the data following each test and determined the collateral injuries likely to be suffered by dismounted U.S. troops within proximity to the tank. Ms. Frounfelker conducted her analysis using a novel methodology that she had previously developed to characterize the collateral damage to dismounted troops within proximity of the Stryker and Bradley vehicles. Her results identified areas of concern regarding hazards from each version of reactive armor and have led the Army to change how dismounted troops operate around these vehicles. During the same period, Ms. Frounfelker served as the lead assessor of crew casualties for 25 U.S. Army developmental systems, including 11 that were fielded in Iraq or Afghanistan. These systems included three variants of the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) and several tactical wheeled vehicles. She collected and analyzed fragment data for every live-fire test of these systems, and her assessments provided the data needed to assess the lethality of U.S. munitions and the survivability of combat vehicles. Madam Speaker, I ask that you join with me today to honor Patricia Frounfelker in her nomination for the 2008 Service to America Call to Service Medal. Patricia Frounfelker's efforts in this time of war have directly benefited soldiers and Marines by identifying and assessing potential injuries they might suffer in or near U.S. combat vehicles. This has allowed the Army to modify the vehicles or the tactics, techniques and procedures before the vehicles are fielded to better protect U.S. military personnel. Her efforts have resulted in better equipped, better protected warfighters, who are better able to protect and defend our Nation. It is with great pride that I congratulate Patricia Frounfelker on her exemplary efforts to increase safety for our armed forces overseas. ____________________