Tony Thurmond: “I know that my colleagues are aware of the excellent services provided by the military liaison offices of the Senate.…”

“I know that my colleagues are aware of the excellent services provided by the military liaison offices of the Senate. For many years military and civilian liaison officers have given invaluable assistance in the areas of constituent services, military issues, and fact-finding visits. One of these liaison officers is Mrs. Brigitte Hanes. During the past nine years she has worked tirelessly solving the problems of soldiers and their families who have asked for help from their Senators. The wife of an Army officer, Brigitte raised two daughters before embarking on her own career. First, she served on the staff of the Commander in Chief of the Joint Forces in Korea. Then she was the Personal Affairs Coordinator for foreign military students at the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth. Brigitte and her husband moved to Washington in 1991. It was December of that year that she went to work in the Army Senate Liaison Office. She gained a reputation around the Senate as a very reliable person. Few people are more widely known and respected than Brigitte. She is known throughout the Senate as an expert in dealing with a range of constituent issues relating to the Army and many other military matters. When I needed to get something done I would call Brigitte. For example: she arranged for the shipment of a wheel chair from a Senator's office to the mayor of a town in Bosnia.”