Recognizing the Service of the Master Sergeant Omar J. Hunt

Floor Speech

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Mr. NUNN of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Master Sergeant Omar J. Hunt as he retires after more than two decades of service to our Nation in the United States Air Force. In that time, he became one of the Air Force's most trusted Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance professionals--entrusted with some of the most demanding missions our Nation asks of anyone in uniform.

Omar's work supported critical airborne operations, special operations forces, and national-level intelligence missions. Over his career, Omar logged more than 3,400 flight hours, over 1,750 of them in combat, flying across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East in defense of our Nation and our allies.

I had the privilege of serving alongside Omar on several of those missions, taking off from RAF Mildenhall in the United Kingdom for missions high above the mountains of Afghanistan. In every assignment and on every mission, Omar conducted himself to the highest standards of leadership and effectiveness that we Airmen pride ourselves on. When a mission grew tense, his was the calm the whole crew leaned on--always steady and dependable.

That same standard carried into every leadership role Omar held. At Headquarters Air Combat Command, he became the Air Force's first Airborne ISR Evaluator, building the evaluation standards that still shape how enlisted aircrew are trained today.

Ask anyone who served with Omar, and you'll hear the same thing: he invested in younger Airmen, he led by example, and he left every unit stronger than he found it. That is the truest measure of any career, and Omar met it every single day.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking Master Sergeant Omar J. Hunt for his extraordinary service to our Nation, and in wishing him and his family every success in the years ahead.

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