[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 142 (Tuesday, September 20, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H5673-H5674]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      ARMY FIRST LIEUTENANT DONALD C. CARWILE POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and pass the bill (H.R. 5309) to designate the facility of the United 
States Postal Service located at 401 McElroy

[[Page H5674]]

Drive in Oxford, Mississippi, as the ``Army First Lieutenant Donald C. 
Carwile Post Office Building''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5309

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. ARMY FIRST LIEUTENANT DONALD C. CARWILE POST 
                   OFFICE BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 401 McElroy Drive in Oxford, Mississippi, 
     shall be known and designated as the ``Army First Lieutenant 
     Donald C. Carwile Post Office Building''.
       (b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     facility referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be 
     a reference to the ``Army First Lieutenant Donald C. Carwile 
     Post Office Building''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Jody B. Hice) and the gentlewoman from the District of 
Columbia (Ms. Norton) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Georgia.


                             General Leave

  Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and 
extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Georgia?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as 
I may consume.
  I rise today in support of H.R. 5309, introduced by Representative 
Trent Kelly, to designate a post office located in Oxford, Mississippi, 
as the Army First Lieutenant Donald C. Carwile Post Office Building.
  First Lieutenant Carwile dedicated his life to serving the people of 
Mississippi and the United States. He began a career in law enforcement 
in Batesville and Oxford, Mississippi, before joining the U.S. Army and 
deploying to Afghanistan. He was killed when his vehicle struck an IED 
during a combat mission.
  I look forward to learning more about First Lieutenant Carwile from 
the sponsor of the bill, Representative Kelly of Mississippi. For now, 
I urge Members to support this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support H.R. 5309, a bill to designate 
the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 401 McElroy 
Drive in Oxford, Mississippi, as the Army First Lieutenant Donald C. 
Carwile Post Office Building.
  Donnie Carwile, as he was called, enlisted in the Army shortly after 
high school, and was assigned to the 25th Division, Schofield Barracks, 
Hawaii. Following a 3-year enlistment, he returned home to dedicate 
himself to his family after the death of his stepmother.
  During that time, Donnie served as a police officer and continued his 
education. In 2006, Donnie re-enlisted in the Army and was assigned as 
a platoon leader in the 101st Airborne Division. He deployed to Wardak, 
Afghanistan, in 2008.
  On August 15, 2008, First Lieutenant Carwile was killed when his 
vehicle struck an IED. He received the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart 
for his honorable service.
  Mr. Speaker, we should pass this bill to honor First Lieutenant 
Donnie Carwile's service and remember the ultimate sacrifice he made 
for our country. I urge passage of H.R. 5309.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the 
gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Kelly), the sponsor of the bill and my 
good friend.
  Mr. KELLY of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I am humbled and honored today to rise in the memory of 
First Lieutenant Donald C. Carwile, known to his family and friends as 
Donnie.
  He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th 
Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, 
Kentucky. First Lieutenant Carwile gave his life in defense of this 
great nation on August 15, 2008, while on a combat mission in Wardak 
Province, Afghanistan.
  He and fellow soldier, Army Private First Class Paul E. Conlon, Jr., 
of Somerville, Massachusetts, lost their lives when their vehicle was 
struck by a roadside bomb and then attacked by insurgents with small 
arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades.
  No greater love has a man than to lay down his life for his friends.
  Donnie is survived by his wife, Jennifer, and daughters, Elizabeth 
Reese and Avery Claire, who were only 5 and 3 when they lost their dad. 
I want his daughters and wife to know that their loved one is a hero 
and that this grateful Nation recognizes his service.
  Donnie was born in Virginia, and he grew up in Lafayette County, 
Mississippi, where he had deep family roots. From an early age, he led 
a life of looking out for others.
  His Lafayette High School and Northwest Community College instructor, 
Janice Martin, told the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal in 2008: 
``He went out of his way to be a friend to students who weren't as 
gifted as some.''
  Shortly after graduating from Lafayette High School, Donnie joined 
the Army in 2003. Just after September 11, 2001, he adjusted course, 
deciding he wanted to follow a path of law enforcement with his father, 
grandfather, and uncle, and so he started as a patrol officer with the 
Batesville Police Department, and then the Oxford Police Department.
  After finishing a degree in criminal justice at Ole Miss, he re-
enlisted in the Army in 2006 and qualified for Officer Candidate 
School, where he was commissioned as an infantry officer.
  His wife, Jennifer, shared with Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal: 
``He cared so much about the men in his platoon. He always said his 
first goal was to bring his men home, and his second, only after that, 
was to come home himself.''
  First Lieutenant Carwile's awards and decorations include the Bronze 
Star Medal, the Purple Heart, Combat Infantryman Badge, Air Assault 
Badge, Parachutist Badge, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement 
Medal, Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, 
Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and 
the Army Service Ribbon.
  Donnie led a life of service to family, state, and country.

                              {time}  1600

  He is a hero, and he paid the ultimate sacrifice in defense of this 
great Nation.
  I thank my colleagues in the Mississippi delegation and the 114th 
Congress for their support of H.R. 5309 to designate the facility of 
the United States Postal Service located at 401 McElroy Drive in 
Oxford, Mississippi, as the Army First Lieutenant Donald C. Carwile 
Post Office Building.
  This small gesture will honor his memory and will serve as a reminder 
of First Lieutenant Carwile's selfless service and sacrifice for our 
freedom.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of this 
bill.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Jody B. Hice) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5309.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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