Asa Hutchinson: “I rise to take a few minutes to recognize the contributions of a patriot, a leader, and a good friend of this…”

“I rise to take a few minutes to recognize the contributions of a patriot, a leader, and a good friend of this institution who has departed Government service to return to life as a private citizen. During, his 4-year tenure as Under Secretary, Acting Secretary, and Secretary of the Air Force, F. Whitten Peters had led his service to new heights of achievement, and the world is better for it. At a time when the global security environment became less predictable with each passing day, Whit Peters understood the need for the Air Force to become more responsive, more versatile, and more powerful--all at the same time. With boundless energy and enthusiasm, he set out to help the U.S. Air Force do those things and more. As the leading architect of aerospace power, Whit Peters drove a fundamental re-examination of the relationship between air, space, and information systems. As a result, the cold war Air Force he inherited is well on its way to becoming a modern, integrated aerospace force, designed to meet the challenges of a new millennium. During Secretary Peters' tenure, in the troubled skies over Serbia, a war was won using the strengths of our military--and we did it without losing a single American to enemy action. Today, despots and dictators hesitate to act because they know America's Air Force can bring power to bear at the point of decision in a matter of minutes or hours.”