[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 130 (Thursday, November 16, 2006)] [Senate] [Page S11053] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] COMMENDING NATALIE WILSON CRAWFORDMrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, today it is my pleasure to commend Mrs. Natalie Wilson Crawford for her service to the Nation and to the U.S. Air Force. Mrs. Crawford is an internationally recognized expert on air and space power who has been at the California-based RAND Corporation since 1964. For the past 9 years she has held the position of vice president, RAND Corporation, and director of Project AIR FORCE, one of the principal research divisions of this famous think tank. For 60 years, Project AIR FORCE, originally called Project RAND, has provided independent and objective analysis on issues of major concern to the U.S. Air Force. During her tenure as its director, Mrs. Crawford built and sustained an outstanding research team, expanded the research agenda, and further cemented RAND's strategic relationship with the Air Force's senior leaders. Among her many honors, Mrs. Crawford has twice been awarded the Air Force's Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service. In 2003, she received both the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Air Force Analytic Community and the Lieutenant General Glenn Kent Leadership Award. In October 2006, Mrs. Crawford stepped down from her administrative roles in Project AIR FORCE, but she will continue to act as a senior advisor to RAND's chief executive officer and as a senior mentor on the USAF Scientific Advisory Board, where she has served since 1988. It is my pleasure and privilege to thank Natalie Crawford for her extraordinary contributions to preserving America's national security. The dedication and energy she has shown in her four-decade career demonstrate the highest ideals of service and commitment. ____________________