[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 76 (Thursday, May 4, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1539-S1540]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER 3 CHRISTOPHER ROBERT ERAMO, CHIEF 
WARRANT OFFICER 2 KYLE D. McKENNA, AND WARRANT OFFICER 1 STEWART DUANE 
                                WAYMENT

  Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I come to the floor this afternoon to 
speak to a tragedy that we saw this past week, just a week ago today. 
Two Army AH-64 Apache helicopters were making their way back to Fort 
Wainwright. Fort Wainwright is an Army post in interior Alaska. They 
had been training in the Donnelly Training Area. They tragically 
collided and crashed.
  Three soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment from 
Alaska's 11th Airborne Division were killed, and I have come to the 
floor this afternoon to honor their lives and express my deepest 
condolences to their families.
  CW3 Christopher Robert Eramo of New York was 39 years old. He had 
deployments in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He had served in 
Iraq, in Afghanistan, and most recently in Kuwait.
  CW2 Kyle D. McKenna of Colorado was just 28 years old. He also had 
deployments in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and had served in 
both Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
  And WO1 Stewart Duane Wayment of Utah was 32 years of age. According 
to an AP article, it said that he was ``excited to be stationed in 
Alaska, to fly over rugged landscapes and see the northern lights and 
wildlife.'' His mother, Stacie Weaver, is quoted in that article as 
saying that ``family was everything to him.''
  From basic training to Warrant Officer Candidate School to the Apache 
pilot pipeline, these men truly dedicated their lives to the service of 
our Nation; and, in doing so, they added to one of the proudest 
traditions in America while exemplifying the best of it, and that is 
the brave men and women who stand ready to protect and to defend us 
every day.
  As we acknowledge the sacrifices that are made by the men and women 
in uniform, we have to remember that those sacrifices don't always come 
at times of war and times of combat. This accident, as I mentioned, 
came after a 2-week training exercise. Training exercises themselves 
can be dangerous, and for the individuals who take part in them, we 
recognize that they face challenges daily.
  We also must remember, though, the tremendous sacrifices that are 
made by our military families. Theirs, too, are significant and placed 
upon them by circumstances that are beyond their control. When 
something bad happens, when some tragedy occurs, they lose husbands, 
wives, fathers, and mothers.

[[Page S1540]]

Many have never had to worry about that.
  But, today, we are grieving with the Eramo, McKenna, and the Wayment 
families. All three soldiers were married. Mr. Wayment also had three 
young children that he leaves behind.
  Scripture tells us that ``the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and 
saves those who are crushed in spirit.''
  And to the families, I know no words can lessen your grief, but I 
hope you will find some small measure of comfort in knowing that 
Christopher, Stewart, and Kyle were heroes and that they will always be 
remembered as such.
  I know that the Fort Wainwright and the Fairbanks communities are 
absolutely heartbroken. There are families and brothers and sisters in 
arms who are grieving today. They are attending a private memorial 
service for their fallen comrades this afternoon in Alaska. My husband 
Verne and I offer our deepest condolences to them. Know that we are 
keeping all who serve in our prayers and all who are no longer with us.
  This has been an awful, awful tragedy. There is one small sliver of 
light, however. There was a fourth servicemember who was injured in 
that same crash. He was treated at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, and he 
has now been released. We are told that he is recovering at home. A 
full recovery is expected. So, hopefully, this can be some small bit of 
hope to the Fort Wainwright and Fairbanks communities that are 
suffering this loss.
  It is, indeed, a sad moment for this military community, our interior 
community--know that in our golden hearts we will hold these men and 
their families tight.
  With that, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nebraska.

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