Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon M. Kent Post Office

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2151. This bill names a post office located in Pine Plains, New York, in honor of Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon M. Kent.

After high school, Petty Officer Kent chose to serve her country, enlisting in the Navy. She discovered a talent for picking up new languages at the Defense Language Institute. After she graduated, she joined the Navy's cryptologic warfare unit.

Between 2007 and 2012, Petty Officer Kent was deployed to Iraq three times and once to Afghanistan.

In 2018, she was deployed to Syria, where she provided intelligence on leaders of the Islamic State to the National Security Agency.

On January 16 of this year, Petty Officer Kent was tragically killed in a suicide bombing in Manbij, Syria. She was only 35 years old, a mother of two boys.

For her bravery, Petty Officer Kent was the recipient of numerous honors, including the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, and multiple commendation medals. Her life was cut short, but her service to our country will not be forgotten.

I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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