[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 175 (Monday, December 8, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2479]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E2479]]
            HONORING CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER CHRISTOPHER NASON

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, December 8, 2003

  Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of a fallen soldier, 
U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Christopher Nason, a dedicated patriot 
who gave 19 years of his life to military service. Mr. Nason was killed 
in a motor vehicle accident while serving in Iraq on November 23, 2003. 
Mr. Nason is survived by his sister Gina Nason.
  A young man seeking focus in life, Christopher Nason enlisted in the 
Air Force in 1985 at the age of 20. Nason attended the Defense Language 
Institute (DLI) in Monterey, CA in June of 1995 through May of 1996, 
where he excelled in his studies of Arabic. He became a warrant officer 
in 1999 and was assigned to the 306th MI (Military Intelligence) 
Battalion out of Fort Huachuca, AZ before he was deployed to Iraq. 
Those who knew him best reflect on his transition into a strong and 
irreplaceable member of the armed forces and mourn the loss of their 
friend, brother and leader.
  As an expert in the Arabic language, Chief Warrant Officer Nason's 
services were extremely valuable to the Army, both in combat and in the 
classroom. After graduating from the DLI in 1996, he taught 
intelligence officers Arabic at both the DLI and Fort Gordon, GA. As a 
respected member of the DLI faculty, he successfully fulfilled the 
mission of the institute by helping to develop proficient linguists who 
would then be utilized for a variety of missions that would support 
national security interests. The DLI, located in my congressional 
district, is the world's largest foreign language school. It is the 
Department of Defense's only foreign language school that not only 
educates soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen in mission-specific 
foreign languages, but also on the history, culture and current events 
in the region in which their language is spoken. The courses are 
intensive and demanding as well as incredibly adaptive, in order to 
reflect U.S. military priorities around the globe.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of a grateful nation, I would like to offer 
condolences to Officer Nason's family and friends, as well as to those 
service members who will no longer benefit from his exceptional 
leadership. This nation was privileged to have a person of his caliber 
serving in our armed forces.

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