[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 211 (Tuesday, December 7, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1321-E1322]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING MR. KEITH E. WEST

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ELISSA SLOTKIN

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 7, 2021

  Ms. SLOTKIN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor an essential member 
of our team that worked to receive vulnerable Afghans as they arrived 
in Albania, Mr. Keith West.

[[Page E1322]]

  Service is ingrained in Mr. West's DNA--after college, he joined the 
Peace Corps, first as a volunteer in Cabo Verde teaching literature and 
English as a second language, and then as a recruiter tasked with 
inspiring the next generation to follow in his footsteps. Since 
commissioning as a Foreign Service Officer with the Department of 
State, he's served in our embassies in Uruguay and Nepal while also 
working on food security for refugees.
  In his current role as the Human Rights Officer at our Embassy in 
Tirana, Mr. West was tapped to serve as the Afghan Relocation Lead, 
coordinating the arrival of our group of Afghan refugees. During that 
critical time, he was able to leverage the immense generosity and 
hospitality of the Albanian people in order to save Afghan scientists, 
journalists, activists, former government officials and their loved 
ones. No small feat--he successfully brought in multiple planes from 
multiple places all chartered by different non-government 
organizations.
  As so many have noted, the approximately 2,200 Afghans who landed in 
Albania are more than evacuees--they are human lives who escape danger 
to life and limb. Thanks to the tireless work by Mr. West on behalf of 
these men, women, and children in need, they now have the possibility 
of looking to the future with hope. Along with the rest of the Tirana 
embassy team, Mr. West spent long hours alongside Ambassador Kim to 
ensure that everything would proceed smoothly. His attention to detail 
was second to none, and I am forever indebted to him for his effort.
  Madam Speaker, I rise to honor Mr. Keith West for his willingness to 
go above and beyond the call of duty in our effort to evacuate Afghan 
allies from Kabul and support them in their new life. For his around-
the-clock effort to assist a vulnerable group of Afghans, sight unseen, 
and his relentless work ethic which left no stone unturned to 
accomplish the mission, I submit these words--may they stand as a 
tribute to his dedicated service when the moment called for it most.

                          ____________________