[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 19 (Friday, January 31, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E147-E148]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           IN HONOR OF MASTER SERGEANT GEORGE A. BANNAR, JR.

                                  _____
                                 

                           HON. PAUL A. GOSAR

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, January 31, 2014

  Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I was honored to attend the grand opening and 
dedication ceremony of the Military Free Fall School's new Master 
Sergeant George A. Bannar Jr. Vertical Wind Tunnel at Yuma Proving 
Ground. The new wind tunnel will be used in the Special Forces 
Qualification Course to teach proper free fall techniques.
  Master Sergeant Bannar, the new wind tunnel's namesake, was a member 
of the Army's Special Forces and was stationed at Yuma Proving Ground 
as a Military Free Fall Instructor. He enlisted in the Army in October 
1996

[[Page E148]]

and graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course in July 
2003. On his fifth deployment to Afghanistan, Master Sergeant Bannar 
was killed in action by enemy forces in Wardak Province on August 20, 
2013. His awards include the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star.
  Master Sergeant Bannar is survived by his wife Michelle, his mother 
Sheila Long, and his father George Bannar, Sr. As a husband and a 
father of three, I cannot imagine the pain of losing a spouse or a 
child. I extend my deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Master 
Sergeant Bannar.
  I know that this new facility and the men and women who train there 
will stand as a testament to Master Sergeant Bannar and all of our 
fallen heroes. They fought to protect us and our freedoms. May we never 
forget their sacrifice.

                          ____________________