[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 15160]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      HONORING THE SERVICE OF ARMY STAFF SERGEANT KENNETH BENNETT

  (Mr. CRAWFORD asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Army 
Staff Sergeant Kenneth Bennett. As an explosive ordnance disposal 
technician, Bennett put his life on the line every day to protect his 
comrades. As a former EOD tech myself, I know the danger Bennett faced, 
and today I honor his ultimate sacrifice.
  Staff Sergeant Kenneth Bennett is an American hero. He entered the 
Army in 2004, and in 2006 he trained to be an explosive ordnance 
disposal technician. Bennett was serving his third, and what was to be 
his last, deployment to Afghanistan. Bennett earned numerous awards for 
his service, including the Defense Meritorious Service Medal and the 
Combat Action Badge.
  I did not know personally Staff Sergeant Bennett, but I do know this: 
He was a son, a husband and father, and a friend to many. Staff 
Sergeant Bennett leaves behind his wife, Mandi, their 2-year-old 
daughter, and another child on the way. Because he served, America and 
the world are more free.
  EOD technicians are the first line of defense in protecting our 
servicemembers overseas and with homeland missions. The EOD community 
deserves the respect and full resources of the Department of Defense to 
continue saving lives.
  God bless the memory of Staff Sergeant Kenneth Bennett, and may God 
continue to bless the United States of America.

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