Skelton Combat Arms Resea... VIEW ORIGINAL
FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (Sept. 12, 2014) -- Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond Odierno hosted a public ceremony renaming the library here in honor of deceased former Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Missouri Representative Ike Skelton, today.
The Ike Skelton Combined Arms Research Library recognizes Chairman Skelton's life-long dedication to professional military education. During his more than 34-year career, Chairman Skelton invested significant time and energy developing Army leaders and was well known as Congress' chief advocate for better strategic thinking and improvements in the military's intermediate and senior level educational programs and joint capability.
"Twenty-five years ago, Congressman Skelton led the effort to reform our military education system from entry level training all the way up through our joint and senior level schooling," said Odierno. "His tenacity and untiring efforts set our Army on a course building tactical and strategic leaders capable of operating in a complex security, Joint and Interagency environment; one that could combine operational competence with sound, imaginative strategic thinking."
More than 200 dignitaries including Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo of Guam and senior Army officials were on hand to see Gen. Odierno officially name the library in Skelton's honor. Odierno unveiled a portrait of Skelton that will hang in the Library's main entrance. In addition to the portrait, the library will also display a print of the Battle of Bushy Run. Skelton often used the battle as a teaching point on the importance of military history for today's leaders and
planners.
Col. James Skelton, representing the Skelton family, donated papers from the Chairman's personal collection to the Library. James Skelton said the family was grateful for the efforts to honor his father. Col. Skelton said his father decided very early he wanted to serve in the Army. However, when he realized he would not be able to serve in uniform because of childhood illness, he reassessed his position took stock of his ammo and continued the mission. The ammo that made Ike Skelton the great advocate for the military was his faith in God, good character, a congenial attitude, good morals, and a deep sense of personal responsibility, said Col. Skelton.
A permanent display featuring Chairman Skelton's National Security Reading List was also placed at the Library. In 2003, concerned that policy makers were forgetting history's lessons, Skelton developed his reading list. He said military officers, members of Congress, and others interested in national security issues should read these books. The original list featured 100 books. He revised the list over time. The Library's display includes all the books from the original list as well as the books on the final list he issued as Chairman of the Armed Services Committee for a total of nearly 200 works on military history and strategy.
The library supports officers and civilians attending the Command and General Staff College and the Army Management Staff College. It boasts more than 320,000 volumes, professional journals, historical documents, and video materials that are used extensively by U.S. and international officer-students, faculty, and research scholars at Fort Leavenworth. It was recognized by the Library of Congress in 2007 as the best large library in the federal system.
"The individuals walking through the doors of this library are the future of our military, the leaders of our Army. It is important that they build on their expertise, and that they are always learning and growing," said Odierno.
Skelton represented Missouri's Fourth Congressional District from 1977 to 2011. A leader in the House on defense issues, Skelton was appointed to the House Armed Services Committee in 1981. He served as chairman of the Subcommittee on Military Forces and Personnel from 1993 to 1994, and as the subcommittee's ranking member from 1998 to 2006, Skelton held the gavel as chairman of the Armed Services Committee from 2007 to 2011. He passed away in 2013.
The renaming ceremony also included honors for those lost in the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 and the more than 6,800 American Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen who have given their lives combating terrorism since.
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