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“TRIBUTE TO JAMES A. TEGNELIA” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Senate section on pages S166 on Jan. 7, 2009.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
TRIBUTE TO JAMES A. TEGNELIA
Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, today I wish to honor the accomplishments and leadership of Dr. James Tegnelia for his service to the Defense Threat Reduction Agency--DTRA--and the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction Program. DTRA is a 2,000-member combat support agency which is charged by the Department of Defense to safeguard the United States and its allies from weapons of mass destruction.
I have had the pleasure of working closely with Jim and DTRA in their role as the primary implementers of the Nunn-Lugar program. I am thankful to have had such a strong ally in the fight against nuclear proliferation. The agency is an integral actor in the fight to reduce WMD proliferation worldwide and has proven to be an extraordinary source of leadership in reducing the threats posed by weapons of mass destruction.
Dr. James Tegnelia, of Albuquerque, NM, has served as the Director of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency since February 2005, and will leave that post in February 2009, after 4 years of dedicated service. Dr. Tegnelia's accomplishments are as wide in scope as they are large in number, and for this we honor him today on the floor of the U.S. Senate.
Dr. Tegnelia was instrumental in institutionalizing and integrating the mission of combating weapons proliferation across the Department of Defense and in guiding agency support to the global war on terrorism. The integration of Department of Defense missions in both fighting terror and WMD proliferation has allowed both agencies to share valuable resources and seek common purpose in our efforts on both important fronts.
Jim has been a tireless champion of international efforts to curb the proliferation of nuclear weapons, and his understanding of the threat of weapons of mass destruction to our nation and U.S. interests abroad is unparalleled. This expertise and dedication manifested itself in a leadership role for the agency in the establishment of regional and global nonproliferation partnerships. Working closely with the Department of State, Dr. Tegnelia has been a vocal advocate of the President's Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism, a program designed to prevent terrorists and dangerous regimes from threatening the United States and its allies with the world's most deadly weapons.
I have had the opportunity to travel extensively with Dr. Tegnelia and the experts at DTRA to Nunn-Lugar dismantlement sites all over the world. I remember fondly a trip we took just 2 years ago. He joined Sam Nunn and I in celebrating the 15th anniversary of the program on a trip to Russia, Ukraine, and Albania. We enjoyed good conversation on the program's significant contributions to international security and Nunn-
Lugar's future prospects in countries outside the former Soviet Union. Jim has been an immensely successful leader and colleague in the fight to keep the United States safe and secure against the threats of weapons of mass destruction. We are indebted for his service and honor his commitment to this country.
I ask my colleagues to join me in wishing him good luck in his future endeavors and thanks for a job well done.
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