Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon M. Kent Post Office

Floor Speech

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Mr. DELGADO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a true American hero, a fallen soldier, Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon Kent of Pine Plains, New York, who was killed at the age of 35 on January 16 of this year by a suicide bombing in Syria during her fifth combat tour in the Middle East.

Senior Chief Kent, a Dutchess County native and Stissing Mountain High School graduate, was a wife, the mother of two beautiful children, and a cancer survivor. She spoke five languages, including six dialects of Arabic, and deployed with the Navy SEALs to Iraq and Afghanistan on four different occasions.

Senior Chief Kent gave the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country and will be remembered for her courage and determination. She was the recipient of the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, two Joint Service Commendation Medals, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, and the Joint Service Achievement Medal, to name a few.

In 2016, Senior Chief Kent survived thyroid cancer and, in 2018, commissioned for a special officer program to earn a Ph.D. in clinical psychology at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences.

Because of a flawed DOD policy, she was found medically unfit to pursue this degree and, yet, somehow fit enough to be deployed to Syria. Following this decision, Senior Chief Kent sought a waiver from the Navy to override DOD's finding and, again, was denied.

Prior to her death, Senior Chief Kent worked tirelessly to change the Navy and DOD policies that resulted in her fifth deployment. Due to her work, the Navy has made positive changes to its waiver policy, in Senior Chief Kent's honor. I remain hopeful the DOD will follow in the Navy's footsteps.

Today, I urge the House to pass H.R. 2151 to create a memorial for Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon Kent in Dutchess County and name the post office at 7722 South Main Street in Pine Plains, New York, the Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon M. Kent Post Office.

Senior Chief Kent's memory will live on because she defined what true service means. Honoring Senior Chief Kent in this permanent way will serve as a daily reminder of her heroism and sacrifice.

Senior Chief Kent is survived by her husband, retired Chief Warrant Officer Joseph Kent, and their two young sons. My thoughts remain with her children, husband, and the rest of her family and friends.

I urge my colleagues to make this bill law to honor her life and legacy.

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