[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 179 (Tuesday, October 12, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1083-E1084]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CONGRESSIONAL VETERAN COMMENDATION FOR SERGEANT FIRST CLASS KEN CATES

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                          HON. JOHN R. CARTER

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 12, 2021

  Mr. CARTER of Texas. Madam Speaker, I'm honored to present Sergeant 
First Class

[[Page E1084]]

Ken Cates, U.S. Army and U.S. Coast Guard, Retired with a Congressional 
Veteran Commendation. His service and devotion to the military, his 
nation, and his community speak to the best of our Texas' altruistic 
spirit.
  Heeding the call to serve, SFC Cates entered the military in 1988. 
During this time, he completed many heroic missions which included over 
120 emergency combat responses as Operations Center Manager, 150 
coordinated executive leader engagement missions, and 15 natural 
disaster responses. Throughout his military career, he applied his 
tremendous talents and energies to the defense of our great nation.
  SFC Cates closed out twenty-seven years of military service in 2015. 
While many would embrace a life of retirement, he still displays his 
loyal and selfless nature by providing aid to Veterans in the Fort Hood 
Area. SFC Cates currently works for the Fort Hood Area Habitat for 
Humanity and is working to support a veterans housing establishment in 
his area. His commitment to investing his gifts, talents, and abilities 
to improve his community has not gone unnoticed. In 2019, Cates was 
named a ``Hometown Hero'' by the Harker Heights Chamber of Commerce and 
the 2019 NEXEN Hero.
  I proudly join SFC Ken Cates' friends, family, and colleagues in 
saluting his selfless service to the military and his beloved Texas 
home. His work brings to life Gandhi's words. that ``The best way to 
find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.'' I 
congratulate SFC Ken Cates and than him for his service.

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