[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 168 (Friday, October 13, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E975]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           HONORING YARITZA PEREZ FOR HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. DARREN SOTO

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 13, 2023

  Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker Pro Tempore, Yaritza Perel graduated from 
Gateway High School in Kissimmee in May of 1999. In September of that 
year, she arrived on the world-famous yellow footprints of the Marine 
Corps recruit depot in Parris Island, South Carolina, graduating in 
December. After graduation, she was assigned to Fort Lee, Virginia for 
MOS training as a bulk fuel specialist. Upon graduation, she was sent 
to her first duty station at Camp Pendleton, California, and assigned 
to the First Marine Division, First Marine Expeditionary Force, Seventh 
Engineer Support Battalion, Bulk Fuel Company.
  After the attacks on September 11, 2001, the Marine Corps shifted 
gears and began preparing for deployment to the Middle East in support 
of Operation Iraqi Freedom. As part of the initial invasion, Bulk Fuel 
Company was attached to the Sixth Engineers Support Battalion. Six days 
into the war, Bulk Fuel Company completed the 57-mile hose reel 
tactical fuel system, capable of pumping fuel from the Kuwait-Iraq 
border to Logistics Support Area Viper. Setting up these fuel lines was 
crucial to providing all forward-moving units the capabilities to 
complete their mission and reach their targets. These efforts earned 
Yaritza's unit a Presidential Unit Citation.
  On her second enlistment, Yaritza was assigned to COMUSMARCENT at 
MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, where she served in an 
administrative role working in the G-1 and G-3 overseeing manpower 
operations and casualty accountability for all forward operating 
commands. Upon completing those orders, she was sent back to the Marine 
Corps Air Station in Miramar, H&HS Squadron serving as Flight Line NCO 
conducting flight operations and fuel testing for all base operations.
  Yaritza separated from the Marine Corps in 2013 and moved back to 
Orlando to be close to family. Since her return, Yaritza has been an 
active member of the community, learning to repurpose her service to 
the great state of Florida. Yaritza served as a platoon leader with The 
Mission Continues for over three years and completed over 50 community 
service projects in the Central Florida area. After Hurricane Maria, 
she went with The Mission Continues to Puerto Rico to help restore the 
El Morro National Monument. During her time volunteering, she found 
Moms Clean Air Force, a national nonprofit organization focused on 
cleaning the contaminated air across the state. As the state organizer 
for Florida, she has met with congressional leaders, legislators, and 
community leaders to make and change laws and regulations to ensure a 
cleaner healthier environment for future generations. As an 
environmental advocate, she was the voice for the voiceless and spoke 
on behalf of Floridians.
  Currently, she works as an outreach specialist with the Wounded 
Warrior Project. In this role, she engages with veterans and their 
families to bring them out of the house and get them engaged with each 
other, our communities, and other resources that could aid them in 
their healing journey. Yaritza is responsible for empowering and 
inspiring post-9/11 veterans in Florida to re-establish themselves as 
positive contributors to their communities. She is also a proud mom.

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