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“TRIBUTE TO COLONEL BENJAMIN L. CASSIDY, USMC” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Senate section on pages S23 on Jan. 23, 2002.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
TRIBUTE TO COLONEL BENJAMIN L. CASSIDY, USMC
Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, today I recognize Colonel Benjamin L. Cassidy, United States Marine Corps, on the occasion of his retirement from active duty. During his twenty-eight years with the Corps, Colonel Cassidy served our nation with distinction and aplomb.
After having graduated from Brown University in 1975, Colonel Cassidy was commissioned aboard the U.S.S. Constitution in Boston Harbor. Upon completion of The Basic School in 1975, he was transferred to Camp Lejeune, NC where he served as the Battalion Logistics Officer, Executive Officer, and Platoon Commander, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines, 2nd Marine Division.
In 1978, Colonel Cassidy was assigned to 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division in Okinawa, Japan where he served as Company Commander and Platoon Commander. He was transferred to Fort Benning, GA in 1980 where he attended the Infantry Officers Advanced Course. Upon graduation, he accepted orders to Recruiting Station, Hartford, CT and served as the Recruiting Station Executive Officer from 1981 to 1984.
From 1984 to 1987, he served with the 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Camp Lejeune, NC as the Battalion Operations Officer and Company Commander. In 1987, he attended the Marine Corps Command and Staff College at Quantico, VA and was later assigned as an Instructor.
From 1989 to 1991, Colonel Cassidy served as the Marine Corps' Exchange Officer to the Brazilian Marine Corps, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. From 1991 through 1993, he served with the Bureau of International Narcotics Matters, U.S. Department of State, Washington, D.C. During this time, he also earned a Masters in National Security Studies at Georgetown University.
He next served as Battalion Inspector-Instructor and Marine Corps Advisor, 4th Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Marine Division, San Antonio, TX. In 1995, he served as Marine Corps Liaison and student at the Chilean Naval War College, Valparaiso, Chile.
Many of you know Ben personally, as he has served for almost 4 years as the Director of the Marine Corps' Senate Liaison Office. During Colonel Cassidy's tenure here at the United States Senate, he planned and led numerous congressional delegations on fact-finding trips around the world. He coordinated these delegations flawlessly and with meticulous attention to detail. In addition, he has overseen the resolution of hundreds of congressional inquiries that have been submitted to the Marine Corps for clarification and assistance. Colonel Cassidy has also worked to ensure that members of the Senate have a better understanding of the requirements and capabilities of the Navy/
Marine Corps Team.
We in the Senate have benefitted from Colonel Cassidy's dedication, sense of duty and outstanding work ethic, and I have made certain that we continue to benefit by hiring him as my Defense and Foreign Affairs Legislative Assistant. I wish Colonel Cassidy, his wonderful wife Kathleen, and their children Alanna, Ben, and Caroline, fair winds and following seas as he begins this new chapter of his life.
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