,,iii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #gjd  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september
 #ag1 #bjbj,mr4 ,inhofe 7for himself and
 ,mr4 ,lankford7 submitted the following
 resolution2 which was considered and   
agreed to  ,,resolution  ,honoring the  
accomplishments of ,general ,thomas ,p4 
,stafford and recognizing his           
contribution to the ,united ,states     
,space ,program4  ,whereas ,general     
,thomas ,patten ,stafford was born in   
,weatherford1 ,oklahoma1 on ,september  
#ag1 #aicj1 to ,thomas and ,mary ,ellen 
,stafford2 ,whereas ,general ,stafford  
graduated with honors from the ,united  
,states ,naval ,academy in #aieb1 after 
which he joined the newly formed ,united
 ,states ,air ,force2 ,whereas ,general 
,stafford entered the ,united ,states   
,air ,force ,experimental ,test ,pilot  
,school at ,edwards ,air ,force ,base in
 #aieh and graduated in #aiei1 receiving
 the ,a4,b4 ,honts ,award as the        
outstanding graduate1 and thereafter    

becoming an instructor and writing      
flight performance and aerodynamics     
textbooks for the school2 ,whereas1 in  
#aifb1 ,general ,stafford was chosen    
among the second group of astronauts by 
the ,national ,aeronautics and ,space   
,administration 7,,nasa7 to serve in    
projects ,gemini and ,apollo2 ,whereas  
,general ,stafford developed techniques 
for and piloted ,gemini ,,vi in #aife1  
completing the first rendezvous in      
space1 and commanded ,gemini ,,ix in    
#aiff1 demonstrating #c different types 
of rendezvous1 including the rendezvous 
that would be used in future ,apollo    
lunar missions2 ,whereas1 in #aifi1     
,general ,stafford commanded ,apollo    
#aj1 piloted the first lunar module to  
descend within #i miles of the ,moon1   
designated the first lunar landing site1
 performed reconnaissance of future     
,apollo landing sites1 and completed    
each of the essential steps in the final
 preparation for the upcoming ,moon     
landing1 including the first rendezvous 

around the ,moon2 ,whereas ,general     
,stafford and his crew won the ,national
 ,academy of ,television ,arts and      
,sciences ,special ,trustees ,emmy      
,award for initiating development of and
 taking the first colored images from   
space2 ,whereas ,general ,stafford set  
the record for the fastest speed        
traveled by a human during the return of
 the ,apollo #aj mission1 a record      
standing today and documented in the    
,guinness ,world ,book of ,records1 at  
#bd1gia miles per hour or ,mach #cf2    
,whereas ,general ,stafford's final     
space mission took place in #aige as    
commander of the ,apollo-,soyuz ,test   
,project1 during which ,general         
,stafford and ,cosmonaut ,alexei ,leonov
 shook hands upon docking1 completing   
the first international space flight and
 helping set into motion the end of the 
,cold ,war2 ,whereas ,general ,stafford 
received the ,nobel ,peace ,prize       
nomination for his role in this mission2
 ,whereas ,general ,stafford left ,,nasa

 in #aige to serve as commander of the  
,air ,force ,test ,flight ,center at    
,edwards ,air ,force ,base2 ,whereas    
,general ,stafford1 as ,air ,force      
,deputy ,chief of ,staff for ,research1 
,development1 and ,acquisition1         
established requirements for and        
initiated development of the first      
stealth aircraft1 the ,f-#aag;,a1 which 
was the only stealth attack aircraft in 
the world for #be years1 and initiated  
the ,air ,force roadmap for the ,advance
 ,superiority ,fighter still in use     
today2 ,whereas1 just prior to his      
retirement in #aigi1 ,general ,stafford 
wrote the specifications for and        
initiated the development of the        
,advance ,technology ,bomber1 now known 
as the ,b-#b ,stealth ,bomber1 the only 
stealth bomber force in the world today1
 and initiated the development of the   
,,agm-#abi ,stealth ,cruise ,missile2   
,whereas1 from #aiia to #aiic1 ,general 
,stafford led ,,nasa's efforts to repair
 and service the ,hubble ,telescope and 

was presented with the ,,nasa ,public   
,service ,award2 ,whereas1 in #bjaa1    
,general ,stafford was awarded the      
,wright ,brothers ,memorial ,trophy for 
pioneering achievements that have led   
the way to the ,moon1 to greater        
international cooperation in space1 and 
to a safer ,united ,states2 ,whereas    
,general ,stafford completed over #ejg  
hours in space flight time and flew more
 than #abg types of aircraft and        
helicopters during his career1 along    
with #d kinds of spacecraft and #c types
 of boosters2 ,whereas ,general         
,stafford has advised several presidents
 on space policy and is currently the   
,chairman of the ,,nasa ,advisory ,task 
,force on the ,international ,space     
,station2 ,whereas ,september #ag1      
#bjbj1 marks ,general ,stafford's #ijth 
birthday2 and ,whereas ,general         
,stafford has given a lifetime of       
service to the ,nation as a member of   
the ,armed ,forces1 at ,,nasa1 and in   
other positions within the ,executive   

branch3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the
 ,senate-- 7#a7 recognizes ,general     
,stafford's immense contribution to the 
,space ,race and the ,united ,states'   
advancement in space policy and         
exploration2  7#b7 commends ,general    
,stafford for his extraordinary         
dedication and service to the ,united   
,states throughout his distinguished    
career2 and  7#c7 directs the ,secretary
 of the ,senate to transmit an enrolled 
copy of this resolution to ,general     
,stafford4