E738 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks May 18, 2015 COMMENDING VALERIE S. VELEZ Mobile District, U.S. Army Corps of Engi- tion of facilities for the Saturn project, a rocket FOR COORDINATING THE PEER neers is celebrating 200 years of exemplary program that was the work of the von Braun LEADERS UNITING STUDENTS service to the Southeast region, the U.S. mili- team at Redstone, was one of Mobile District’s PROGRAM (PLUS) TO ADVOCATE tary and the Nation. biggest projects. The District was responsible FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PREVEN- For its first 70 years in Mobile and along the for the testing facilities at Redstone Arsenal TION POLICIES AND TO REDUCE Gulf Coast, these engineers surveyed and for- associated with the Saturn booster, and even- TOBACCO USE AMONG YOUTH tified the southern coast from St. Marks River tually one of the major construction projects of in Florida to Lake Pontchartrain to the west. the post Korean War period, the Mississippi HON. RAUL RUIZ Forts were the key elements of the coastal de- Test Facility. OF CALIFORNIA fense system, but complementary structures In the 1960’s, the District continued the leg- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES such as lighthouses and towers were also acy of improving and developing the Nation’s Monday, May 18, 2015 constructed. In addition to the coastal fortifica- inland waterway transportation system. West tions, Gulf Coast engineers also began sur- Point Dam was authorized, Carters Dam on Mr. RUIZ. Mr. Speaker, today I am honored veys to look at connecting the inland water- the Coosawattee River and Millers Ferry Lock to recognize Health Education Program Spe- ways with the Tennessee-Coosa River canal and Dam on the Alabama River began. Con- cialist, Valerie S. Velez for her tireless efforts study. struction of the Claiborne Lock and Dam and to preserve the Peer Leaders Uniting Students Following the Civil War, in 1870, an engi- Robert F. Henry Lock and Dam also began in (PLUS) program that engages student leaders neer office was opened in Mobile, Alabama. the 60’s. to address the social issues in their commu- Eighteen years later the Mobile District was of- In the 1970’s Mobile again took on new re- nity. This year they have chosen to focus on ficially established in a formal reorganization sponsibilities. Construction responsibility for eliminating social disparities in tobacco use in of operations at the national level. Cape Canaveral District was shifted to Mobile. the local community of Hemet, California. The nation turned toward rebuilding the Military construction in Florida, the Panama Ms. Velez has been working as a Health economy after the Civil War and developing Canal activities and Central/South America Education Program Specialist at the Hemet the nation’s transportation system became a programs were also shifted to Mobile. The Unified School District (HUSD) since 1992. positive, tangible means of measuring 1970’s also saw construction begin on the She earned a Master’s degree in Public progress. Major navigation surveys were con- Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, at the time Health from U.C. Berkeley and B.S. from U.C. ducted on Southeastern rivers such as the the largest Civil Works project in Corps his- Davis in Applied Behavioral Sciences. In addi- Coosa River, the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee tory. tion, Ms. Velez has been responsible for co- Flint, the Black Warrior, Tennessee- The 70’s ended with Hurricane Fredric hit- ordinating a wide variety of programs, includ- Tombigbee, and the Alabama River between ting Mobile on September 12, 1979. Under ing health education and safe school climate 1870 and 1879. Public Law 84–99 the Corps was authorized to programs for HUSD; federal initiatives from When Mobile District was established in provide emergency assistance during disas- the U.S. Department of Education, and the 1888, the District’s boundaries were from the ters. The States of Alabama, Florida and Mis- State Tobacco Use Prevention Education Escambia River westward to the East Pearl sissippi were all declared Federal disaster grant. River. Montgomery District had responsibilities areas. Mobile District has been a national The PLUS program engages middle and from the Escambia River eastward to St. leader in emergency response actions for the high school students as peer leaders pro- Marks River in Florida. In 1933 the two dis- Corps. Through the District’s innovation the moting mutual understanding and respect on tricts merged into one, the Mobile District. The Corps developed a national-level Detachable their campuses, working toward innovating so- District also was also given responsibilities for Tactical Operations System to provide imme- lutions that create more welcoming, positive all military construction for the Army and Army diate support to disaster stricken areas. This and connected school environments in which Air Corps in Mississippi, Tennessee and Ala- was never more evident than after 9/11 when students can thrive socially and academically. bama. the District supported the New York City police In 2014, almost 100 students from the The 1930’s were a busy time for the Motile and fire departments with these units. HUSD began collaborating with the Hemet District. Modernization of the Black Warrior The 80’s saw innovation within the Corps, Community Action Network and the California River system began, taking the number of with Mobile District once again leading the Department of Public Health to improve social locks required to transit the waterway from 17 way. Life Cycle/Project Management was first disparities in tobacco use in the local commu- to 5. Construction of Brookley Field, the tested and then established in Mobile District. nity through youth advocacy. Students also Southeast Army Air Depot and the Mobile Air It has now become the standard for Corps made a presentation to the City Council to Service Command during World War II began. management. This decade also saw the open- demonstrate the detrimental health effects of The Flood Control Act of 1936 set into motion ing of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway to second hand smoke and tobacco waste. Soon a national flood protection plan and gave the navigation, creating the transportation artery after, the City Council adopted a landmark or- Corps jurisdiction over federal flood control from the Gulf Coast to the Nation’s mid-sec- dinance for the City of Hemet that bans to- protection investigation and river improve- tion first envisioned in the mid 1800’s. Base bacco use in parks. ments. Realignment and Closure also began in the I am pleased to recognize Ms. Velez for her As busy as the 1930’s were, World War II 80’s. Mobile District has been involved in all service and for being a champion for the resulted in the largest wartime mobilization ef- the BRAC National Environmental Policy Act PLUS program, in the face of budget obsta- fort ever for the United States. The magnitude requirements for BRAC from 1988 until the cles. of Mobile District’s work can be judged by ex- present. For her work and on behalf of the HUSD penditure for construction. Between December The closing decade of the 1900’s once students, I applaud Ms. Velez on her dedica- 1941 and December 1943, nearly $1 billion again revealed Mobile’s innovation. In 1994 tion to make our community better and look was expended in the District on facilities that the Scanning Hydrographic Operational Air- forward to even more accomplishments in the included 32 Army airfields, an ordnance train- borne Lidar Survey, or SHOALS, was first future. ing center, two arsenals, three Army ground tested. This innovative 3–D technology was f force depots, five harbor defense installations, adapted for underwater mapping. When later 200 YEARS OF EXEMPLARY SERV- nine Civil Aviation Administration airfields, two combined with the U.S. Navy’s CHARTS sys- ICE FROM MOBILE DISTRICT, Army Air Force supply depots, one Army Air tem, the team became a world leader in un- U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS Force cantonment, six Ordnance manufac- derwater mapping. The 1990s also saw the turing plants, nine Army ground force canton- completion of the J–6 Large Rocket Test Fa- HON. BRADLEY BYRNE ments and six special installations. cility, the completion of the John J. Sparkman In the 1950’s construction of Buford Dam in OF ALABAMA Center located at the U.S. Army Arsenal at Georgia was initiated, Jim Woodruff Lock and IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Redstone, Alabama. The Sparkman Center Dam was completed, Walter F. George Lock and follow on phases, encompasses more Monday, May 18, 2015 and Dam construction began and the Army than 1 million square feet and is one of the Mr. BYRNE. Mr. Speaker, on May 4, 1815, Ballistic Missile Agency was established at most modern military facilities in the world. the Chief of Engineers issued orders to Lieu- Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville, Alabama in As the Nation entered the new century Mo- tenant Hipolite Dumas, which began the long 1956. bile District continued its record of excellence. and proud history of engineering service to the In 1959 NASA was established at Redstone The Von Braun Center at Redstone Arsenal Gulf Coast and Mobile. Arsenal for the Saturn Project. The construc- was completed in 2014 and is home to the VerDate Sep 11 2014 09:28 May 19, 2015 Jkt 049060 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 9920 E:\CR\FM\A18MY8.036 E18MYPT1 emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with REMARKS.