Thomas Daschle: “it is my honor to welcome Alfonso E. Lenhardt as Sergeant at Arms of the U.S. Senate. In 1789, when the office was first…”

“it is my honor to welcome Alfonso E. Lenhardt as Sergeant at Arms of the U.S. Senate. In 1789, when the office was first established, the challenges of the job were quite different than they are today. The Sergeant at Arms was given the responsibility for keeping a majority of members together long enough to organize and begin the business of government. Today, the job has grown, and so has the office. The Sergeant at Arms is now the chief protocol and law enforcement officer of the Senate, as well as the administrative manager for many Senate support services. The Sergeant at Arms oversees the largest staff and budget in the U.S. Senate. That expanded role demands expanded skills--in both law-enforcement and management. In every position he has held, Al Lenhardt has demonstrated those skills as well as a solemn commitment to public service. Al retired from the United States Army in 1997 as a Major General after over 31 years of domestic and international experience in national security and law enforcement programs.”