I want to extend my warmest aloha to all of those gathered here today to celebrate the operational opening of the Controlled Humidity Protection systems, Washing Racks and Corrosion Rehabilitation Facilities at Kaneohe Marine Corps Base Hawaii.  In particular, I want to extend a special thank you to VSE Chairman, Don Ervine, for inviting me to join you for today's ribbon cutting ceremony.  I also want to recognize Bill DeMent from VSE, Hank Porterfield from the Marine Corps and Mike Cunningham from Doonwood Engineering for their leadership in making these facilities operationally ready. 

As a life long resident of Hawaii, I have had a great deal of experience battling the corrosive effects of the sea air.  That is why one of my primary legislative goals as a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Chairman of the Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support has been to bring attention to the problem of corrosion and encourage the development of corrosion abatement programs. Corrosion is a costly problem.  In fact, it is one of the largest costs in the life cycle of weapons systems.  In addition, corrosion reduces military readiness as the need to repair or replace corrosion damage increases the downtime of critical military assets. Consequently, I firmly believe that cohesive corrosion control programs are integral to maintaining military readiness. This is especially true for the Marine Corps whose unique operation environment increases the risk factor for corrosion. 

It is my hope that your success in developing and implementing a comprehensive corrosion support capabilities at Kaneohe Bay will serve as a model and inspiration for future corrosion prevention programs DoD wide.  Mahalo for your hard work and dedication in promoting corrosion prevention and control efforts.