June 8, 2020 - Issue: Vol. 166, No. 105 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 2nd Session
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ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS; Congressional Record Vol. 166, No. 105
(Senate - June 08, 2020)
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[Pages S2761-S2762] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS ______ TRIBUTE TO JOHN D. DWYERMs. CANTWELL. Mr. President, Mr. John Dwyer has distinguishably served the U.S. Coast Guard and our Nation for more than 43 years, on Active Duty, in the Coast Guard reserves, and as a long-time Coast Guard civilian serving in Seattle, WA. John earned his bachelor's degree from Gonzaga University in 1976 and was selected shortly thereafter to attend Coast Guard Officer Candidate School. Upon his graduation in 1977, he was commissioned as an Active- Duty officer in the Coast Guard. In 1985, he transitioned to the Coast Guard reserves, where he continued to advance until retiring as a captain in 2005, while serving as the Pacific Area Reserve Chief of Staff. During this time, John also earned his master's degree from the University of Washington, School of Marine Affairs, in 2004 and became a Department of Homeland Security senior fellow. Concurrent with his Reserve status, John began his service as a Coast Guard civilian employee in 1986, allowing him to focus his expertise on the Puget Sound region and serve as an invaluable source of knowledge and continuity for the rotating Coast Guard personnel. Ultimately, he advanced to serve as the officer in charge, marine inspection and the chief of the Inspection Division at U.S. Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound. In this important role, John was responsible for ensuring the safety, environmental protection, and security standards for commercial vessels and waterfront facilities throughout Puget Sound, as well as the navigable waters of Washington State and Montana. Throughout his service while in uniform, John was repeatedly recognized for actions that increased safety in the maritime industry. As early as 1977, as a young lieutenant, John improved the safety of the vital North Pacific maritime industry as he helped establish an uninspected vessel examination program in the Coast Guard's 17th district. The processes he established were smoothly transitioned from the district offices to a new field unit, the Marine Safety Office in Anchorage, AK. He was recognized in the early 1990s as commanding officer of the Reserve unit in Tacoma, WA, where John systematically found meaningful ways to increase reserve member participation in marine safety inspections, which had traditionally been conducted by Active-Duty members. By enhancing the role for reservists in marine inspections, John improved the safety of people in the commercial fishing and maritime industries, while also boosting the efficiency of the Coast Guard. During his years of public service, John directly contributed to the maritime safety and security of our Nation. John's direct oversight ensured the seamless flow of maritime commerce, including the transportation of almost 24 million passengers per year on the Washington State ferries, the largest ferry system in the United States. He led the effort to create the region's first multiagency maritime security team that was responsible for the security of the expansive international maritime border between the United States and Canada. This successful program was adopted and became a best practice throughout the Nation. John was also directly involved in ensuring the safety of commercial fishing vessels in the North Pacific and Bering Sea fisheries, worth more than $4 billion annually. His work with the fishing community undoubtedly saved lives and resulted in John becoming the standard-bearer for fishing vessel safety to Coast Guard members, fishermen, and policymakers across the Nation. Above his exemplary execution of Coast Guard mission requirements, John left his mark as a skilled and thoughtful mentor. John served as a patient teacher and remarkable mentor for thousands of Coast Guard personnel. He generously shared his 43 years of maritime experience in vessel inspections, port security, waterfront [[Page S2762]] facility inspections, mariner licensing, casualty investigations, and marine disaster and firefighting response to train the next generation of leaders within the Coast Guard's Marine Safety program. His leadership and commitment to the professional development of others made an incredible impact on more than 1,200 Coast Guard junior officers and enlisted members, many of whom are now serving as executive level leaders in the Coast Guard and throughout the Federal Government. His mentees include a member of the Senior Executive Service, three Coast Guard flag officers, 10 Coast Guard captains of the Port, and several enlisted members who are now serving in successful leadership roles in government and private industry. During my time on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, I have had the benefit of working with a number of Coast Guard members that had been mentored by John. John trained them well. Without a doubt, these members have left their mark on multiple Coast Guard authorization bills that have been signed into law with meaningful improvements to maritime safety and environmental protection at the national level. I am personally grateful to have had the opportunity to work with so many members who were mentored by John, and I am sure that, after John retires, I will continue to learn from those he influenced over his long career. John also served as an influential leader within Puget Sound's maritime community. In the wake of the tragedy of September 11th, he played a key role in Puget Sound as the Coast Guard implemented the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002. He served as the head of the vessel security and Washington State ferries security sub- committees within the Puget Sound Maritime Security Committee and played a critical advisory role in Puget Sound's Harbor Safety Committee. He was always available to provide advice on maritime topics and was frequently invited to speak at maritime events. In recognition of his tremendous impact, the Seattle Propeller Club named John as its Public Official of the Year in 2013 and the Puget Sound Port Maritime Council recognized him as its Maritime Person of the Year in 2017. John's actions and decisions were always in the best interest of the public in which he selflessly and tirelessly served as he worked to ensure the safety, security, and environmental protection of Washington State and the pristine waters of Puget Sound. He will be missed, but his legacy of service and those he trained will live on. I thank John Dwyer for his selfless service to the United States Coast Guard, the entire Pacific Northwest, and our Nation. ____________________
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