COCHRAN STATEMENT COMMENDING JOSHUA FAIRLEY OF VICKSBURG

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The following is the text of the Congressional Record statement by U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) commending Joshua Fairley, an Army Corps of Engineers researcher in Vicksburg:

Congressional Record (Senate – June 11, 2009, Page S6538)

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I would like to continue the efforts of Senator Kaufman and the Partnership for Public Service by honoring an outstanding federal employee in Mississippi.

Public servants fulfill remarkable duties in the government, and their accomplishments deserve grateful recognition.

Mr. Joshua Fairley, an employee at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center, USACE-ERDC, in Vicksburg, is a distinguished public servant for his development of new technology to improve the detection accuracy of improvised explosive devices for our Armed Forces. Improvised explosive devices are commonly used in terrorist attacks and have become a principal source of fatalities for men and women in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Mr. Fairley's new technology has resulted in a 75 percent improvement rating for detection accuracy. This Mississippian has used his intelligence to serve our country and protect our troops.

Mr. Fairley was inspired to become a Federal employee because of his desire to make a difference, and he has done so by recognizing challenges and using his skills to overcome them.

I am glad that Senator Kaufman has initiated this effort; our Federal employees deserve recognition for the important role they fill.

Mr. Fairley is committed to our Nation, and his contributions have made him the prime example of an outstanding Federal employee.

###