Lt. Colonel Pam Powers, BIW, and Maine's County Commissioners Conference

Last Monday, I participated in the promotion ceremony of a military fellow, Pam Powers, who is serving in my office this year. Pam was promoted from Major to Lt. Colonel in the Air Force Reserves, and I had the wonderful privilege of speaking at her ceremony and pinning the new insignia on her uniform. Pam's entire family attended: her husband, three children, parents, and in-laws. As I looked at their beaming faces, I thought of how lucky we are that families like Pam's are willing to make the sacrifices necessary so that their loved ones can serve in the military. A graduate of the Air Force Academy, Pam is very bright, hard-working, and patriotic, and our country is so fortunate to have her serve in the military. And I am so fortunate to have her advice and experience as I serve on the Armed Services Committee.

Later in the week brought the good news from the Navy that Bath Iron Works will receive the first set of equipment to install on the DDG-1000. The effect of this decision, which I had urged the Navy to make for many months, is to put BIW in the forefront of construction of the very first DDG-1000. This wonderful news is a great tribute to the skill, dedication, and productivity of BIW's employees and the leadership of its President, Dugan Shipway. The Navy's decision will help to close the gap in work between the construction of the final Arleigh Burke class of destroyers and the first DDG-1000.

On Friday night, I spoke to a conference of Maine's County Commissioners at the Samoset. Maine's counties do a terrific job in emergency preparedness and response, and I was delighted to talk with them about the work Senator Joe Lieberman and I have undertaken to overhaul FEMA and to make the federal government a more effective partner. Further proof of the quick response of our emergency officials came unexpectedly far later that night when a fire alarm roused most of us from a sound sleep to be evacuated from the hotel until the Rockland Fire Department could check out and remedy an errant fire alarm. Never a dull moment!