[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 76 (Thursday, June 9, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S6344]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES


                    Staff Sergeant Justin L. Vasquez

  Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I rise to speak for a moment about a 
brave American who lost his life earlier this week. His name is SSG 
Justin L. Vasquez. Staff Sergeant Vasquez was killed this past Sunday 
when a roadside bomb exploded near his military vehicle.
  Staff Sergeant Vasquez was 26, and from the small town of Manzanola, 
CO, near La Junta, along the Arkansas River. He was a member of the 3rd 
Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment out of Fort Carson, CO.
  He aspired to become an FBI agent, to continue his career of helping 
to protect people. He even considered becoming a lifetime military man. 
Regardless of whether he chose the FBI or stayed in the military, he 
was clearly motivated by patriotism and was making service to our great 
country and our security his career.
  Staff Sergeant Vasquez was always a patriot who chose to put his 
country over himself. He enlisted at 18, and after his first tour of 
Iraq reenlisted for a second 6-year stretch with the Army in 2003.
  Consider that, Mr. President. We are learning everyday that the Army 
is having trouble meeting its recruiting goals because of the demands 
of deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. Staff Sergeant Vasquez chose to 
re-up for service after having been to Iraq and knowing he was in all 
likelihood heading back to Iraq.
  During this, his second tour in Iraq, Staff Sergeant Vasquez was 
serving as a commander of a team of Bradley Fighting Vehicles.
  Earlier this year, Staff Sergeant Vasquez was selected as one of nine 
soldiers from Colorado profiled by the Rocky Mountain News during their 
service in Kuwait. The paper noted that Staff Sergeant Vasquez had 
``arguably, the toughest job in First Platoon, if not in all of 
Lightning Troop''--working with new enlistments fresh out of boot camp.
  But perhaps most importantly, Staff Sergeant Vasquez was a leader. 
Among the nine men under his command, five were new enlistments on 
their first tour. He would spend much of his time during the days 
training the inexperienced scouts, helping to build their confidence in 
their mission and their actions.
  Staff Sergeant Vasquez was shaping nervous boys into confident young 
men, creating leaders for our cities and towns, businesses and PTA 
boards. He had every confidence in his men and inspired them to have 
confidence in themselves and their mission.
  In his short life, Sergeant Vasquez was a living role model of what 
each of us in this Chamber hopes to become: a champion for something 
other than ourselves, a champion for an ideal--freedom--bigger than 
anyone person.
  All of Colorado is saddened by the loss of SSG Justin Vasquez, but we 
also celebrate everything that he stood for. He served his Nation with 
honor and distinction, and set an example to which we can all aspire. 
He will be missed by his family and friends and the men whom he led. 
Today, they are all in our thoughts and prayers.
  I thank the Chair and yield the floor.

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