Sen. Dick Lugar Reserve Officers Association's 2012 Minute Man of the Year

WASHINGTON- The Reserve Officers Association will honor Senator Richard “Dick” Lugar with its Minute Man of the Year Award for his contributions to national security and special efforts on behalf of America’s National Guard and Reserve members. ROA will present Senator Lugar the award at the association’s annual National Security Symposium here on Wednesday, February 1, 2012.

Senator Lugar is a leader in reducing the threat of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. In 1991, he forged a bipartisan partnership with then-Senate Armed Services Chairman, Sam Nunn (D-Ga.), to destroy weapons of mass destruction in the former Soviet Union. To date, the Nunn- Lugar program has deactivated more than 7,601 nuclear warheads, any of which could have devastated an American city, work for which Senator Lugar received a Nobel Peace Prize nomination in 2000. He continues his efforts to reduce the threat of weapons of mass destruction. Most recently Senator Lugar led a Department of Defense team to Africa to expand Nunn-Lugar efforts to counter the threat of bioterrorism.

Senator Lugar focuses his efforts on technological innovation, especially regarding energy security and energy independence for the Department of Defense. Through the Lugar Energy Initiative, Senator Lugar combined his experiences on the Senate Foreign Relations and Agriculture Committees to recognize that energy security impacts every aspect of life in the United States, including our vulnerability to foreign terrorism and conflict in oil rich regions.
A former Naval Intelligence officer, Senator Lugar is an exemplar of public service and a great supporter of the Guard and Reserves, particularly in his home state of Indiana. For thirty years, Senator Lugar has sworn in 50 new recruits on Armed Forces Day on Pit Road during a time-out in Indy 500 time trials. More recently, Senator Lugar championed the Indiana National Guard’s “Muscatatuck Urban Training Center.” By his personal involvement and the leadership of the Adjutant General of the Indiana National Guard, Major General R. Martin Umbarger, a once abandoned 1000-acre state psychiatric hospital has been transformed into a facility unlike any other in the nation. Run by the Indiana National Guard, Muscatatuck today provides soldiers and diplomats preparing to deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan the most realistic military and cultural training possible.

The Minuteman of the Year Award is presented annually at ROA’s National Security Symposium. The award recognizes outstanding contributions to U.S. national security and defense. 

Comments

[Boss Hogg Is Back]

Finally had an updated commercial on Indy radio today. better late than never.

[Ryder]

Any chance Lugar will follow Dan Burton's lead and retire! Fingers crossed.