In his 16 years as Maricopa County Attorney, Rick Romley built a distinguished record. For the past six months, his prosecution experience and expertise have been put to good use as a special adviser to the Attorney General's Office.

We've been fortunate to count Rick as a colleague. Most of his time was spent assisting attorneys in our Criminal Division and representing the Office before the State Legislature. Rick has been down many of the roads our prosecutors travel and knows them well. His work was routinely characterized by sound judgment and mature counsel.

Rick finished his work with us this week and will be heading to Washington, D.C. next month to become personal adviser to Secretary of Veterans Affairs James Nicholson. He previously worked for Nicholson in 2006 when he was asked to help investigate the theft of a database containing personal identifying information of 26.5 million veterans. His assignment this time will be more wide-ranging. Rick and his wife Carol plan to relocate to Washington while maintaining their home in Arizona.

Rick's passion for helping veterans runs deep. He enlisted in the Marine Corps after graduating from high school in 1967. He was serving as a squad leader in Vietnam when he was nearly killed by a land mine, losing both legs above the knee. His son David is a major in the Marine Corps. The VA stands to benefit immensely from Rick's service.

When Rick joined our Office, some people asked why a Republican prosecutor would want to help a Democratic Attorney General. But neither Rick nor I viewed his work with us in political terms. Rick said he saw it simply as "a chance to use my experience to help the Attorney General's Office."

He did that very well. I wish him continued success in his new federal position.

Terry Goddard