Mr. REED. Mr. President, today I recognize and pay tribute to GEN

Martin E. Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for his

lifetime of service to our country. His retirement marks more than 41

years of selfless devotion to our military and our Nation. A leader of

exceptional character and consequence, his humility, courage, and

expertise will be sorely missed.

  A New Jersey native and 1974 graduate of the United States Military

Academy, General Dempsey was well prepared to lead our Armed Forces

these last 4 years as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. A career

armor officer, he has commanded at every level, from platoon leader to

combatant commander, and his assignments have carried him and his

family across the United States and around the world.

  As a company grade officer, he served with the 2nd Cavalry in Europe

and the 10th Cavalry at Fort Carson. Following troop command, he earned

his masters of arts in English from Duke University and was assigned to

the English Department at West Point. He subsequently earned additional

advanced degrees from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College

and the National War College.

  In 1991, General Dempsey deployed with the 3rd Armored Division in

support of Operation Desert Storm. He later commanded a battalion in

Germany and then served as the Army's ``senior scout'' as the 67th

colonel of the Third Armored Cavalry Regiment--the Brave Rifles--before

reporting to the joint staff as an assistant deputy director in the J-5

and later as a special assistant to the 14th Chairman of the Joint

Chiefs of Staff.

  In 2003, General Dempsey commanded the 1st Armored Division in

Baghdad and returned to Iraq in 2005 as the commanding general of the

Multi-National Security Transition Command--Iraq. From 2007 to 2008, he

was the deputy commander and then acting commander of U.S. Central

Command, and from 2008 to 2011, he commanded U.S. Army Training and

Doctrine Command.

  Appointed to serve as the Army's 37th Chief of Staff, General Dempsey

led his beloved Army a short 149 days before being tapped to serve as

the 18th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In that capacity and as

the Nation's highest-ranking military officer, he has served as the

principal military adviser to the President, the Secretary of Defense,

the National Security Council, and this Congress these past 4 years.

  General Dempsey's exceptional ability to coordinate and build

consensus among the office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint

Staff, the services, and the combatant commands has served us well and

ensured those charged with civilian oversight of the military have

received the best military advice possible to achieve our national

objectives. Additionally, he has built trust and strengthened relations

with both national and foreign leaders.

  During a period of complex and rapid global change, coupled with the

military's exceptionally high operational tempo and unprecedented

fiscal challenges, General Dempsey's decisive leadership enabled the

success of military operations around the world. He masterfully guided

the Joint Force to extraordinary execution of global responsibilities,

from counterterrorism and crisis response, to supporting our allies,

building partner capacity, and humanitarian assistance. His efforts

strengthened key alliances, bolstered new partnerships, and more

closely integrated the military with the other instruments of our

national power against the many threats we face.

  Because of those many threats, General Dempsey's tenure as Chairman

has been marked by significant transitions in military operations and

personnel. His exemplary stewardship helped reset our forces after the

conclusion of major combat operations and has prepared them for an

increasingly dynamic and unpredictable security environment.

  His leadership was critical during the transition of authority to the

Afghan National Security Forces following Operation Enduring Freedom.

Additionally, in the fight against ISIL, his expert advice helped

formulate the military component of a sustainable counter-ISIL

strategy. He also guided the military's work as part of the U.S.

interagency response to the Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa.

  He guided the Joint Force to capitalize on the lessons learned over

these past 14 years fighting as a Joint team, undertaking reforms that

have driven ``jointness'' further into our military's capability

development and operational planning. In addition, recognizing the

shifting nature of the security environment and our ability to respond

to it, General Dempsey led a paradigm shift in how we posture and

employ this Joint team around the world.

  At the same time, the past few years have witnessed exponential

growth of the cyber threat against our Nation, and, in response,

General Dempsey has deftly pushed the expansion of our cyber

capabilities. He has pressed hard for cyber legislation, championed the

rapid development of our cyber forces, and implemented the Joint

Information Environment to optimize and better defend our military's

information technology infrastructure. These initiatives will be

critical to the future security of our Nation.

  As principal steward of the military profession, he renewed an

internal commitment to strengthen the profession of arms and

reinvigorated education, training, and leader development. He managed

historic decisions, including reforms to general and flag officer

ethics, Department-wide improvements in sexual assault prevention and

response, expansion of service opportunities for women, and the

extension of benefits to same-sex spouses of uniformed servicemembers

and Department of Defense civilian employees. His stewardship set

conditions to preserve the strength of the all-volunteer force and to

ensure servicemembers departing the military are successfully

reintegrated back into their communities.

  As he retires, General Dempsey should take great pride in his role in

ensuring our military remains the best supported, best trained, best

equipped, and best led force on the planet. His contributions to our

national security are a testament to his remarkable leadership and

selfless dedication. During trying times, under sometimes harsh

scrutiny and with high national security stakes at hand, his steadfast

commitment to the readiness and welfare of Joint Force servicemembers

and their families, as well as his exceptional support for commanders

and their warfighting requirements, made significant and lasting

contributions to our Nation.

  With over four decades of exemplary service to our Nation, General

Dempsey and his family deserve our most heartfelt gratitude and

admiration. He and Deanie have my very best wishes for a long, happy,

and well-deserved retirement. Our Nation, our Joint Force, and our Army

are all better for his leadership and distinguished service.