[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 157 (Wednesday, September 28, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H8125-H8126]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING THE SERVICE OF CHAD ROBICHAUX AND STAFF SERGEANT DENNIS PRICE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Missouri (Mrs. Hartzler) for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary 
heroism of Chad Robichaux and Staff Sergeant Dennis Price during the 
Afghanistan evacuation last year. Their selfless actions evacuating 
tens of thousands of Afghan interpreters and their families, vulnerable 
women and children, persecuted Christians, and American citizens, 
represents the highest levels of patriotism.
  I met Chad through his work supporting our Nation's veterans as the 
founder of the Mighty Oaks Foundation, a leading nonprofit serving the 
military, veteran, and first responder communities around the world. 
Through faith-based combat trauma and resiliency programs, Chad has 
been instrumental in ensuring our brave warriors are supported when 
they return home from the battlefield.
  Chad's work doesn't stop there. He is also the co-founder of Save Our 
Allies, a nonprofit focused on the evacuation and recovery of 
Americans, our allies, and the most vulnerable people trapped in 
Afghanistan. Save Our Allies began as a personal quest for Chad, as he 
set out to rescue his longtime friend and Afghan interpreter. However, 
the mission quickly evolved because of Chad's compassion for all people 
and his servant's heart.
  While the U.S. military held the Kabul airport in Afghanistan, the 
Save Our Allies Task Force successfully extracted approximately 17,000 
evacuees in a period of 10 days. Despite these courageous efforts, a 
report from the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff estimated over 142,000 
vulnerable Afghans remained in the country following the exit from 
Kabul.
  With the complete takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban, the report 
projected 20 million women would be vulnerable to sexual abuse and 
slavery; Christians would be persecuted and executed; Afghan 
interpreters and their families would be hunted down and killed; 
children would be abused through religious manipulation; and the 1,000-
plus Americans left behind would be killed or held hostage for ransom.
  Understanding the ruthlessness of the Taliban as a former Force Recon 
Marine, Chad Robichaux knew the rescue mission had to continue. In 
response, Save Our Allies launched several operations to explore new 
ways for extractions. Robichaux and his team first identified possible 
ground evacuations that could be feasible by cross-border movements 
into Tajikistan and quickly planned a reconnaissance operation. 
Robichaux hand-selected Staff Sergeant Dennis Price, a Force Recon 
Marine and Scout Sniper, to take part in the mission.
  I want to share two stories from that mission to highlight their 
incredible acts of sacrifice, service, and bravery. Early in the 
mission, Staff Sergeant Price sought a higher vantage point to evaluate 
a potential river crossing area. Upon his ascent up a mountain, he came 
under sniper fire two separate times, pushing him back to return to the 
safe house to reconvene with Robichaux and discuss moving forward with 
the operation.
  These two brave men humbly discussed their families, loved ones, and 
all that would be left behind should they not make it out of this 
mission ahead. Still, both men agreed to continue their mission of 
building safe passage for American and Afghan evacuees.
  During day 3 of the mission, and upon confirmation of possible river 
crossing,

[[Page H8126]]

Staff Sergeant Price found himself 10 feet away from an armed Chinese 
militant hiding in the bushes, utilizing the vegetation as concealment.

                              {time}  1245

  Robichaux, using his uncanny observation and combat skills, noticed 
the looming threat and physically ushered Staff Sergeant Price into a 
nearby vehicle before he could be captured or killed, ultimately saving 
his life. Because of this heroic act, the two men were able to continue 
providing real-time information to American intelligence agencies.
  During their 10-day operation, Robichaux and Price were able to cover 
90 miles of border between Afghanistan and Tajikistan, remaining 
undetected by countless Tajik, Russian, and Chinese military patrols, 
all while avoiding Taliban-infested areas and checkpoints.
  These examples, and countless others that cannot be shared due to 
their sensitive nature, underscore the exemplary efforts undertaken by 
both Americans behind enemy lines to collect the critical information 
needed to bring so many to safety.
  Mr. Speaker, I am humbled to stand before the House to honor their 
courageous bravery and willingness to sacrifice their lives for their 
fellow man. The mission that these men completed has saved and will 
continue to save hundreds and possibly thousands of lives.
  On behalf of a grateful Nation, I express my sincere gratitude. God 
bless Chad Robichaux and Staff Sergeant Price for their service to our 
country.

                          ____________________