Making Continuing Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2014

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, earlier this month we marked the 12th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon that killed more than 3,000 people.

[Page: S6675]
Our fight against terrorism continues today. We can be proud of all that America's military personnel and the veterans of the global war on terror have accomplished, as well as the ongoing efforts.

Many brave Americans put their lives on the line every day to defend this country because terrorists remain committed to harming the United States. Many have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms. We must honor the sacrifice of the men and women who laid down their lives for us.

Arkansas has a proud history of its citizens serving this country in the military. Many brave Arkansans, including two recently, have given their lives defending our country on the battlefield. We continue to honor the men and women who have given their last full measure of devotion to protect our Nation.

SGT Jamar Avery Hicks sacrificed his life for this country in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Sergeant Hicks graduated from Hall High School in Little Rock, AR, in 2009. One of his former teachers described him as a student who didn't mind going out of his way to help others and never looked for anything in return. She says she would have taken a whole classroom filled with students like Jamar. Those closest to Sergeant Hicks describe him as a quiet, gentle, and unassuming man with an infectious smile who always had a positive outlook on life.

Sergeant Hicks joined the Army in November of 2009. His friends say he loved the Army, and his military service drove him to continue to improve himself. Sergeant Hicks was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 4th Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, KY, as a vehicle driver. He gave his life on August 11, 2013, his 22nd birthday, after enemy forces attacked his unit with indirect fire in the Paktia Province of Afghanistan.

I ask my colleagues to keep his family, including his wife Debra, his son Jamar, Jr., and friends in their thoughts and prayers during this very difficult time.

Most recently the Natural State honored the life of SFC Ricardo Young as State flags flew at half-mast. Sergeant First Class Young graduated from Nevada High School in Rosston, AR, in 1997. His family and friends describe him as fun-loving, caring, and always full of life. Sergeant First Class Young joined the Army in September 1997. He trained at Fort Benning before his first assignment at Fort Campbell, KY. In his 15 years of military service, Sergeant First Class Young was deployed to two tours in Iraq, one in Afghanistan, in addition to other missions around the globe.

Sergeant First Class Young was assigned to the 738th Engineer Support Company, 307th Engineer Battalion, 20th Engineer Brigade, 18th Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, NC. On August 28, 2013, he gave his life in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Farah Province, Afghanistan.

On behalf of a grateful nation, I humbly offer my sincerest gratitude for the patriotism and selfless service of Sergeant First Class Young and Sergeant Hicks.

Let us never forget the sacrifices of our troops, and let their legacies be an inspiration for all Americans.

Mr. President, I yield the floor and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source