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2005 Ron Paul Chapter 74
Not linked on Ron Paul’s Congressional website.
Congressional Record [.PDF]
Tribute To Rear Admiral John D. Butler
24 June 2005
HON. RON PAUL
OF TEXAS
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Friday, June 24, 2005
2005 Ron Paul 74:1
Mr. PAUL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Rear Admiral (Lower Half)
John D. Butler, a Texas City, Texas, native
who retires after 31 years of faithful service
from the United States Navy on July 1, 2005.
2005 Ron Paul 74:2
Many of us have come to know and recognize Rear Admiral Butler over the past two
years as he has served as the Program Executive
Officer (Submarines) since February
2003. During his tenure as the Navy’s top submarine
acquisition officer, Rear Admiral Butler
delivered USS Virginia (SSN 774) and USS
Jimmy Carter (USS 23). Virginia’s commissioning
in October 2004 ended the longest
drought of submarine commissioning in that
service’s 105-year history. Whereas Virginia is
the first of her class, Jimmy Carter is the last
of the Sea Wolf Class. Jimmy Carter brings a
host of new and revolutionary capabilities to
the fleet that will help the United States to win
the Global War on Terror.
2005 Ron Paul 74:3
Under Rear Admiral Butler’s watch, the submarine construction industry has been, virtually,
reborn. He was a driving force in
transitioning the Virginia Class’ second Block
Buy contract into a Multi-Year agreement that
will save an estimated $80 million per submarine
over the five-hull agreement. Currently,
there are six Virginia Class submarines under
construction and an additional three ships
under contract.
2005 Ron Paul 74:4
Admiral Butler has also made great efforts in converting four Ohio Class Trident Ballistic
Missile Submarines into the transformation
SSGNs. Each of these 560-feet long, 18,000-
ton submarines will be able to carry up to 154
precision-guided Tomahawk Land-Attack
cruise missiles, 66 Navy S and to support covert
Special Operations, each SSGN will be
able to carry two Dry-Deck Shelters, two Advanced
SEAL Delivery Systems, or one of
each top the ships’ integrated lock-in/lock-out
trunks. With the Ohio Class’ inherent stealth,
these SSGNs, the first of which delivers in November
2005, will be a potent warfighter in the
Global War on Terror.
2005 Ron Paul 74:5
Admiral Butler has also acted as an emissary with allied nation’s undersea forces, especially
with both the Royal Australian Navy
and with Great Britain’s Royal Navy. In doing
so, he has not only strengthened our bonds
with these most trusted allies, but has also enhanced
national security.
2005 Ron Paul 74:6
Admiral Butler joined the Navy via the Nuclear Power Officer Candidate Program in
1975 after graduating from the University of
Texas at Austin with a Bachelor’s of Science
in Chemistry. His sea duty assignments have
included: Division Officer on board USS Will
Rogers (SSBN 659); Navigator/Operations Officer
on board USS James K. Polk (SSBN
645); Navigator/Operations Officer on board
USS James Madison (SSBN 627); and Repair
Officer on board USS Proteus (AS 19).
2005 Ron Paul 74:7
Admiral Butler’s shore assignments have included: Attack Submarine Training Head for
the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Submarine
Warfare); AN/BSY–1 Submarine Combat
and Acoustic System (PMS417) Chief Engineer
for Program Executive Officer, Submarine
Combat and Weapons Systems; Sea
Wolf Class Submarine (PMS350) Assistant
Program Manager (Design and Construction)
for Program Executive Officer, Submarines;
Strategic and Attack Submarines (PMS392)
Major Program Manager for Naval Sea Systems
Command; and Executive Assistant and
Naval Aide to the Assistant Secretary of the
Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition).
He has also served in temporary assignments
attached to the Applied Physics Laboratory
Ice Station, Arctic Ocean; Supervisor of
Shipbuilding, Groton, CT, and Newport News,
VA; and attached in support of U.S. Embassies
at Cairo, Egypt; Moscow, Russia; and
Panama City, Panama. Over the course of his
career, Admiral Butler has helped to design,
build, and deliver a total of 23 submarines —
nearly one-third of today’s total force.
2005 Ron Paul 74:8
Admiral Butler’s personal awards include the Legion of Merit (3 awards), Meritorious Service
Medal (3 awards), Navy Commendation
Medal, Navy Achievement Medal, in addition
to other service and unit awards.
2005 Ron Paul 74:9
Mr. Speaker, Admiral Butler has given 30 years of service to the Navy, to Congress, and
to the people of the United States of America.
He has served our Nation well and has helped
to ensure that our undersea fleet remains the
best in the world. He has left a large and
meaningful legacy and I am honored to rise
today to express my appreciation for Admiral
Butler and for his wife Eileen who has served
her Nation right along side her husband. Being
a Navy wife is not an easy task, and she has
been nothing less than a model of courage,
patience, and devotion.
2005 Ron Paul 74:10
Mr. Speaker, colleagues, please join me in wishing Admiral and Eileen Butler: “Fair winds
and following seas and long may your big jib
draw!”
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