WHEREAS, Captain Thomas Theodore Scambos, USN, Ret., a dedicated veteran who made numerous contributions to naval aviation over the course of his distinguished career and a respected entrepreneur in Northern Virginia, celebrated his 100th birthday in 2024; and

WHEREAS, born in New York City on March 15, 1924, Thomas "Tom" Theodore Scambos earned a bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering from New York University, then began his military career as a member of the United States Navy Reserve in 1944; and

WHEREAS, at the dawn of the jet age, Tom Scambos served as a turbo-jet project engineer at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, and was one of the first three instructors at the United States Naval Test Pilot School; and

WHEREAS, Tom Scambos transferred to active duty in the United States Navy in 1947, then reported for flight training at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, followed by additional training at facilities in Corpus Christi, Texas; and

WHEREAS, Tom Scambos was designated as a naval aviator in July 1949 and was assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 31, from which he was detached to serve in the Department of the Navy's Bureau of Aeronautics; and

WHEREAS, in the 1950s, Tom Scambos continued his education at the Harvard Business School, where he earned a master of business administration degree and received the prestigious George F. Baker Scholar award; he also completed industrial production training at Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation; and

WHEREAS, Tom Scambos next reported to Naval Station Norfolk as a production engineering officer and to what is now part of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, as a test coordinator; he completed a series of consecutive assignments in 1960–1961 as a fleet replacement pilot with Strike Fighter Squadron 125 and Fighter Squadron 126, then as the operations officer of Carrier Air Wing 14; and

WHEREAS, as a member of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations in the early 1960s, Tom Scambos provided his expertise to projects on antisatellite capabilities, surveillance, manned space flight, and more; and

WHEREAS, after receiving instruction at the Center for Advanced Engineering Study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1965–1966, Tom Scambos returned to the Department of the Navy as deputy project manager for the development of a new carrier-based interceptor, then as project manager of a fleet escort study; and

WHEREAS, after completing his service to the nation, Tom Scambos established General Technology Applications, Inc., in Manassas and served as chair and chief executive officer of the company from 1984 until his well-earned retirement in 1992; and

WHEREAS, Tom Scambos secured several patents for innovative technology and helped revolutionize oil spill cleanups by creating a nontoxic chemical additive that increased the viscosity of oil, allowing for more efficient and effective recovery; and

WHEREAS, Tom Scambos ultimately settled in Arlington County, where he is a respected and highly admired member of his community; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That Captain Thomas Theodore Scambos, USN, Ret., hereby be commended on the occasion of his 100th birthday; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Captain Thomas Theodore Scambos, USN, Ret., as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for his service to the nation, the Commonwealth, and his community.