[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6584]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING FALLEN SERVICEMEMBERS

  (Mr. O'ROURKE asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. O'ROURKE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize five 
servicemembers who died last Saturday in Afghanistan. First Lieutenant 
Brandon Landrum; Staff Sergeant Francis Phillips; Specialist Kevin 
Cardoza; Specialist Brandon Prescott; and Specialist Thomas Murach were 
killed by an IED while on patrol in Kandahar province. All five had 
been awarded both a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart, and all five were 
stationed at Fort Bliss in the district I represent.
  Since 2011, Fort Bliss has lost 83 soldiers in the wars in 
Afghanistan and Iraq. This incredible loss of life has deeply impacted 
the families, friends, and fellow soldiers of the fallen, as well as 
the Fort Bliss and El Paso communities.
  Each casualty reminds us of the ongoing human toll of the Afghanistan 
war, now going into its 12th year, and increasingly out of sight for 
many Americans. The terrible loss of these five soldiers reminds us of 
our solemn responsibility to our servicemembers, not only to be 
cautious when sending them into harm's way, but also knowing when it is 
time to bring them home.

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