[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 166 (Wednesday, November 2, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1983]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          RECOGNIZING U.S. ARMY 1ST LT. ASHLEY I. WHITE STUMPF

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES B. RENACCI

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 2, 2011

  Mr. RENACCI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize U.S. Army 1st Lt. 
Ashley I. White Stumpf--a member of the North Carolina National Guard's 
230th Brigade Support Battalion, 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team. She 
was attached to a Joint Special Operations Task Force in Afghanistan 
when she and two Army Rangers were killed as enemy forces attacked her 
unit with an improvised explosive device.
  Ashley was commissioned in the U.S. Army as a Medical Service Corps 
Officer after receiving a commission from Kent State University in 
2009. After completing both the medical services officer basic course 
at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, and the U.S. Army basic airborne course at 
Fort Benning, Georgia, she volunteered to become a member of a new 
tactical force called Cultural Support Teams.
  Cultural Support Teams highlight the importance and necessity of 
women on the battlefield today. Their primary task is to engage the 
female population in ways that would be culturally inappropriate if 
performed by a male service member. As a member of only the second 
class of women to enter this program, Ashley was a trail-blazer. 
Cultural Support Team members assist in a variety of functions in 
Afghanistan, including medical programs, searches and seizures, 
humanitarian assistance, and civil-military operations. In support of 
these special Special Operations units, Ashley exposed herself to 
danger on a regular basis and has now become the first casualty in what 
the Army says is a new and vital wartime attempt to gain the trust of 
Afghan women. She will be remembered for her sacrifice for years to 
come.
  Ashley's awards and decorations are many and include the Parachutist 
Badge, the Ohio Faithful Service Ribbon, the Armed Forces Reserve 
Medal, the Army Reserve Achievement Medal, and the National Defense 
Service Medal. She will be posthumously awarded the Bronze Star, the 
Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign 
Medal, and the Combat Action Badge.
  Lt. Col. David Hodne stated it well when he said, ``Ashley was an 
incredibly talented officer and teammate who lost her life while 
committed to making a difference in our effort in Afghanistan. She 
demonstrated a level of quiet courage that set the example for others 
to follow, and we will never forget her sacrifice. Her family is in our 
thoughts and prayers.''
  A native of Alliance, Ohio, Ms. White Stumpf is survived by her 
husband Cpt. Jason Stumpf of Raeford, N.C., her parents Robert and 
Deborah White, twin sister Brittney and brother Josh, all of Alliance. 
Loved by friends, family and citizens across this nation, Ashley will 
remain a shining example of selfless sacrifice.
  I honor Ashley's life, her service, and her memory. She will surely 
be missed by many, but she--along with all of our fallen heroes--will 
not be forgotten.

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