[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 12] [Senate] [Page 17035] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]TRIBUTE TO GENERAL RICHARD A. CODY Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I commend GEN Richard A. Cody, Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, for his outstanding service and commitment to excellence throughout his 36 years of distinguished military service to our Nation. General Cody will retire in August 2008 with the gratitude and well wishes of the Nation and particularly of the soldiers and families to whom he has devoted his life. General Cody is originally from Montpelier, VT, and began his service as a cadet at the U.S. Military Academy. He graduated from West Point in 1972 and became an Army aviator. General Cody has long been widely regarded as the Army's premier attack helicopter warrior and pilot with over 5,000 flying hours. For more than 20 of his 36 years as a soldier General Cody has been entrusted with the command of troops in well known combat units including the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment and several assignments with the 101st Airborne Division . Most notably, in 1991 then-Lieutenant Colonel Cody personally led the Apache attack helicopters of Task Force Normandy, the joint aviation task force that fired the opening salvoes of the gulf war, that destroyed Iraqi air defense sites and, as GEN H. Norman Schwarzkopf recounted, ``plucked out the eyes'' of Sadaam Hussein's air defenses. Over the last 6 years, as one of the most senior leaders of the Army, General Cody has dedicated himself to ensuring that American soldiers are the best-trained, best-equipped and best-led force ready for the complex challenges of the global war on terror. As a result, in part of his determined leadership and uncompromising support, soldiers deployed in Afghanistan, Iraq and around the world have met those challenges. General Cody's insight and leadership has also been a force behind the Army's transformation, which has set the Army on a path to provide the Nation with an Army that is more lethal, agile, deployable, and flexible; capable of fighting and winning this Nation's wars in the 21st century. General Cody has been an example to soldiers throughout his great career; an example shared by his proud Army family as well. His wife Vicki will forever be a strong voice and tireless worker for soldiers and their families. Their brave sons Tyler and Clint, also Army officers and attack helicopter aviators with six combat tours between them, have answered the same call to duty and continue to serve the Nation. General Cody is an American hero, unflinching in war and tireless in peace. President John F. Kennedy once said, ``When at some future date the high court of history sits in judgment of each one of us-recording whether in our brief span of service we fulfilled our responsibilities, we will be measured by our answers to 4 questions-were we truly men of courage were we truly men of judgment were we truly men of integrity were we truly men of dedication?'' I believe that when history judges the service of General Cody, the Army's 31st Vice Chief of Staff, it will be clear that this was truly a man of courage, judgment, integrity, and dedication. The Nation is honored and grateful to have had the service of GEN Richard Cody and his family. As he and his wife start this next chapter of their lives, we wish them all the best for a day of rest well deserved and earned. ____________________