HONORABLE JAMES WHITTEMORE

SAM M. GIBBONS U.S. COURTHOUSE

801 NORTH FLORIDA AVE.

TAMPA, FLORIDA 33602 23 MAY 2006

Honorable Whittemore,

My name is Lieutenant Colonel Jeff Lieb and I am writing this letter on behalf of Mr. Thomas Spellissy. My purpose is to inform you of this individual’s true character, with hopes that you will favorably take this into consideration as you contemplate his future. I have personally known Mr. Thomas Spellissy for over 20-years. He has been a mentor, leader, and confidant to me and many other commissioned officers within the United States Army. Mr. Spellissy was my Battery Commander in Nurnberg, Germany 1987, while I was a young Lieutenant. During my first few years in the service, Mr. Spellissy helped develop many of the leadership traits I still utilize today. Those traits consist of loyalty, care and compassion for soldiers, honesty, and professionalism. He was a “role-model” who left a very positive impression on me and many others.

As the current Field Artillery Branch Chief, I am responsible for managing the career professional development of over 5,000 active duty field artillery officers. As Mr. Spellissy’s former career manager, I was privileged to know that he had amassed an impeccable record of service for over 30-years. Through his evaluations and appraisals, I could assess that he continuously performed the three basic fundamentals of our profession: Duty, Honor, and Country; and at no time did I ever see him wavier from this commitment. From his time at the United Sates Military Academy through his active duty service, Mr. Spellissy continued to serve his country faithfully.

Throughout our relationship, I have known Mr. Spellissy to be extremely competent, trustworthy, and most importantly an enthusiastic motivator. His ability to train, coach, and develop young leaders was his strongest trait. He has that special gift that motivates others to accomplish more than they ever thought possible. He always exhibited a positive attitude and instilled in us a desire to succeed in all that we did. He simply was an outstanding leader.

I respect the work of all involved in this case, and write this letter solely as a character witness for Mr. Spellissy. My overall assessment of him is that he is one of the brightest and most talented individuals with which I have ever been associated. He always demonstrated a rare combination of drive, instinct, and passion for whatever he did. I will always remember him as a man of great character and great strength!

If you have any questions regarding Mr. Spellissy, you may reach me at (703)-325-5368, or email me at Jeffrey.lieb@us.army.mil.

JEFFREY C. LIEB

LTC, FA

Chief, Field Artillery Branch