[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 38 (Monday, March 5, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H1350-H1351]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            FIRST SERGEANT P. ANDREW McKENNA JR. POST OFFICE

  Mr. PALMER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 4685) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 515 Hope Street in Bristol, Rhode Island, as the 
``First Sergeant P. Andrew McKenna Jr. Post Office''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4685

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

     SECTION 1. FIRST SERGEANT P. ANDREW MCKENNA JR. POST OFFICE.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 515 Hope Street in Bristol, Rhode Island, 
     shall be known and designated as the ``First Sergeant P. 
     Andrew McKenna Jr. Post Office''.
       (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 ``First Sergeant P. Andrew McKenna Jr. 
     Post Office''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Alabama (Mr. Palmer) and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Alabama.


                             General Leave

  Mr. PALMER. 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 Alabama?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. PALMER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4685, introduced by the 
gentleman from Rhode Island, Representative  David Cicilline.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4685 names the U.S. Post Office at 515 Hope Street 
in Bristol, Rhode Island, after U.S. Army First Sergeant P. Andrew 
McKenna, Jr.
  First Sergeant McKenna served 15 years in the Army, most recently as 
a Green Beret, and then as the first sergeant for the Special 
Operations Joint Task Forces--Afghanistan.
  In August 2015, First Sergeant McKenna was killed in action while 
defending Camp Integrity in Kabul, Afghanistan, against insurgents. For 
his bravery and leadership during the attack, he was posthumously 
awarded the Silver Star.
  This bill would honor his service to the Nation, and I urge my 
colleagues to support it.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am also pleased to join my colleagues in consideration 
of H.R. 4685.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline) to tell us about the heroism of First 
Sergeant Andrew McKenna, Jr.
  Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I am 
honored to stand before you today to pay tribute to the life and 
service of a true American hero, First Sergeant P. Andrew McKenna, by 
naming the Bristol Post Office in his honor.
  A native of Bristol, Rhode Island, Sergeant McKenna dedicated 17 
years of his life to serve and protect our country in the United States 
Army.
  Born in 1980 to his mother, Carol, and father, Peter, Sergeant 
McKenna knew at the age of 5 years old that he wanted to be a soldier, 
and by the age of 7 that he wanted to serve the Nation as a Green 
Beret. His family and close childhood friends recall him wearing 
camouflage-patterned clothes almost every day.
  Sergeant McKenna attended Mount Hope High School in Bristol, 
graduating in the spring of 1998. Upon graduation, he immediately 
enlisted in the Army as an infantryman.
  After just 3 years, he went to selection for the Green Berets. He 
completed the grueling Special Forces Qualification Course in 2003, 
achieving his lifelong dream to be a part of the military's most elite.
  Sergeant McKenna was then assigned to the First Battalion, 7th 
Special Forces Group. He went on to serve one tour of duty in Iraq and 
five more tours in Afghanistan.
  During his first tour in Afghanistan, from 2004 to 2005, First 
Sergeant McKenna was awarded the Bronze Star with Valor for his 
tremendous courage under fierce enemy fire during a mission that 
resulted in the death of a senior Taliban official. He would then go

[[Page H1351]]

on to earn 18 military awards, including the Defense Meritorious 
Service Medal, the Purple Heart, the Army Commendation Medal, and the 
Army Achievement Medal.
  First Sergeant McKenna is remembered at each of his duty stations for 
his intense work ethic, strong attention to detail, commitment to 
excellence, quick sense of humor, and infectious smile. To this day, 
former team leaders and fellow servicemembers praise his motivation, 
leadership, and ability to bring out the best in the people around him.
  Of the countless stories I could tell that exemplify these values in 
Sergeant McKenna, there is one that stands out.
  In 2011, Master Sergeant Chris Corbin, a fellow Green Beret, was 
forced to undergo a double amputation on both legs after stepping on a 
hidden IED in Afghanistan. During a months-long recovery process at 
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, First Sergeant McKenna 
would make the 5-hour drive from Fort Bragg, located in North Carolina, 
to visit Master Sergeant Corbin, sometimes spending multiple days or 
even weeks at his bedside. Master Sergeant Corbin would later go on to 
credit Sergeant McKenna's reliability and motivation for getting him 
through his recovery.
  This same selfless devotion to his fellow servicemembers was, of 
course, not a first for Sergeant McKenna, and it would not be his last 
in a decorated life that was ended far too soon.
  He was stationed at Camp Integrity in Kabul, Afghanistan, in August 
of 2015 when Taliban soldiers exploded a car bomb outside the gates of 
the compound in the middle of the night. Four heavily armed insurgents 
opened fire on security contractors guarding the Special Forces 
complex, killing eight guards and breaching the facility. Sergeant 
McKenna was messaging with his mother at the time, and her last message 
to her son went unanswered.
  After hearing an explosion and gunshots, he immediately grabbed his 
weapon and proceeded to engage the enemy alongside fellow Green Beret, 
Master Sergeant George Vera.

                              {time}  1730

  During the ensuing firefight, First Sergeant McKenna lost his life 
and Master Sergeant Vera suffered critical wounds to his spine, kidney, 
liver, and leg.
  Their decision to charge into the fight without hesitation and regard 
for their own safety likely prevented the deaths of many, many soldiers 
stationed at that base.
  First Sergeant McKenna's bravery and his ultimate sacrifice allowed 
supporting personnel to eliminate the Taliban attack and secure the 
complex.
  First Sergeant McKenna was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for 
Valor in Combat, the Nation's third highest decoration for valor, for 
his courageous and lifesaving actions.
  He was fearless. He was heroic. He represented the very highest 
examples of service, duty, and sacrifice throughout his career and on 
this fateful day. However, in the words of his friend, Master Sergeant 
Corbin: ``That's just Drew. There's dozens of times he's done stuff 
like that.''
  First Sergeant McKenna was laid to rest in St. Mary's Cemetery in 
Bristol next to his brother, Patrick, who passed away in 2005.
  He is survived by his mother and father, whom I had the honor of 
hosting for President Obama's final State of the Union Address.
  The First Sergeant P. Andrew McKenna, Jr., Memorial Scholarship Fund, 
set up in his memory, awards $6,000 in scholarships every year to Rhode 
Island high school students planning to attend college or serve in the 
Armed Forces.
  Andrew McKenna was a true American hero who embodied the very best of 
Rhode Island values.
  His patriotism, loyalty, and sense of shared purpose were reflections 
of his strong character and the values he learned growing up in 
Bristol.
  I consider myself fortunate to have met First Sergeant McKenna in 
2015 at the Bristol Fourth of July parade and for my continued 
relationship with his wonderful family.
  I am proud to lead the effort here in Congress to honor First 
Sergeant McKenna's legacy that means so much to his family, his 
friends, the town of Bristol, and the State of Rhode Island.
  Mr. Speaker, I extend my gratitude to Chairman Gowdy and Ranking 
Member Cummings for their support of this bill, as well as my good 
friend and cosponsor of this bill, Congressman Jim Langevin.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for their courtesy and urge my 
colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. PALMER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin), my good friend.
  Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by commending my colleague from the 
First Congressional District of Rhode Island, Mr. Cicilline, for 
sponsoring this bill in the first place.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a Rhode Island hero and to support 
the designation of the United States Postal Service facility at 515 
Hope Street in Bristol, Rhode Island, as the First Sergeant P. Andrew 
McKenna Jr. Post Office.
  First Sergeant McKenna had served with distinction for 17 years when 
he was killed on August 7, 2015, during an insurgent attack on Camp 
Integrity in Afghanistan.
  That previous summer, I had the privilege of meeting First Sergeant 
McKenna at the Bristol Fourth of July parade.
  Mr. Speaker, he was only 35 years old, and he died running toward 
incoming fire, saving the lives of his fellow soldiers.
  A member of the 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group out of Eglin 
Air Force Base, First Sergeant McKenna saw six deployments, five to 
Afghanistan and one to Iraq, and his extraordinary service was 
recognized throughout.
  Among his many medals are five Bronze Stars, one of which was awarded 
with a valor device for his actions during a mission that resulted in 
the death of a senior Taliban commander.
  Following First Sergeant McKenna's death, he was awarded a Purple 
Heart and Silver Star, decorations he richly deserved.
  In my time as ranking member of the Committee on Armed Services 
Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities, I have heard the 
stories of many of our special operators and the heroic deeds they 
perform to keep us safe here at home. They are the consummate quiet 
professionals, never far from danger, yet shying away from the 
spotlight.
  First Sergeant McKenna was ``the best of us,'' his fellow Green 
Beret, Sergeant First Class Tim Kennedy, remarked.
  He gave his life for his country, and naming the post office at 515 
Hope Street in his honor is just a small way that we can thank him for 
his remarkable service and ensure that his memory lives on.
  Mr. Speaker, again, I want to thank my colleague, Mr. Cicilline, and 
our two Senators, Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, for coming together 
to offer this legislation.
  First Sergeant McKenna has made his parents, Peter and Carol McKenna, 
his friends, the town of Bristol, and the entire State of Rhode Island 
extraordinarily proud.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring his courage, 
his service, and his sacrifice today.
  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I urge passage of 
H.R. 4685, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. PALMER. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Palmer) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 4685.
  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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