[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Page 8693]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                       ALASKA AIR NATIONAL GUARD

 Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I have the honor today to 
recognize five great Americans who valiantly risked their lives 
multiple times in the service of their country. CPT Christopher Keen, 
MSgt. Sergeant Chad Moore, TSgt. Christopher Harding, SSgt. William 
Cenna, and SSgt. Sergeant Nickolas Watson are members of the Air 
National Guard from the State of Alaska who serve with the 212th Rescue 
Squadron from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. I'd like to tell 
you about some of the heroic actions taken by these men in the summer 
of 2012, when they were deployed to Afghanistan.
  Captain Keen, Master Sergeant Moore, Tech Sergeant Harding, Staff 
Sergeant Cenna, and Staff Sergeant Watson are assigned to an Air 
National Guard unit that specializes in dangerous medical evacuation 
missions. Pararescue Jumpers, or PJs, train to be inserted into the 
most hazardous and precarious situations to save lives. They learn to 
operate in the extreme cold and harsh terrain. As a matter of fact, 
Staff Sergeant Cenna was part of a five-member team to summit Denali 
about a month ago on May 9, 2013. PJs train on some of the most cutting 
edge equipment and master complicated medical procedures. If that is 
not enough, they prepare to do this job in the face of an enemy that, 
when they are plunged into the heart of a battle, can appear from any 
direction.
  In order to fully understand the valorous actions of these five men 
in 2012, I must begin the story in April 2011. Staff Sergeant Cenna, 
who you will hear about again, was part of a rescue team tasked to 
recover two U.S. Army pilots downed in the Tagab Valley, Afghanistan. 
After dropping Sergeant Cenna and his teammate at the crash site, 
members of the aircrew were injured by enemy fire and forced to leave 
the team without overhead coverage. On the ground, insurgents began 
voicing their intent to take individuals hostage and Sergeant Cenna 
began taking enemy fire. A six-hour firefight ensued, and Sergeant 
Cenna maintained complete situational awareness while relaying critical 
information to attack helicopters above. Risking his life repeatedly, 
Sergeant Cenna's actions directly contributed to eliminating the threat 
and most importantly, enabled the recovery of the downed American 
pilot, a killed in action infantryman, and another critically wounded 
soldier from enemy territory. For his gallantry and devotion to duty on 
April 23, 2011, Staff Sergeant Cenna was awarded the Silver Star.
  Just over a year later, on July 29, 2012, Staff Sergeant Cenna was 
again deployed to Afghanistan. He, along with Tech Sergeant Harding and 
Staff Sergeant Watson, were conducting a mission to evacuate two Danish 
soldiers near Gereshk, Afghanistan. The Danes had been critically 
wounded and were pinned down in an active firefight. The three-man 
pararescue team infiltrated at an unplanned insertion point 
approximately 100 meters from the soldiers. Without hesitation, the PJs 
maneuvered through a field with possible improvised explosive devices 
and enemy machine gun fire. The team then forded a flowing canal and 
climbed a 12-foot embankment to reach the wounded Danish soldiers. 
After applying lifesaving medical interventions and evacuating them to 
the transport vehicle, the team was notified of two more critically 
wounded soldiers at the incident site. Exposing themselves to extreme 
danger again, the team extracted those wounded troopers as well. In all 
that day, Tech Sergeant Harding, Staff Sergeant Cenna, and Staff 
Sergeant Watson saved four lives. Just a year after earning the Silver 
Star, Staff Sergeant Cenna joined Tech Sergeant Harding and Staff 
Sergeant Watson displaying sheer courage under fire and unadulterated, 
unselfish dedication to their duty, their country and their brothers in 
arms.
  The very next month, on August 8 and 9, 2012, Captain Keen, Master 
Sergeant Moore and Staff Sergeant Cenna were operating in support of 
Marines in Alpha Company, 2d Reconnaissance Battalion, near Urmuz, 
Afghanistan. The operation was called Lion's Den. It was during this 
operation that Sergeant Cenna earned his second Bronze Star with Valor. 
Captain Keen led the insertion and extraction of the Marines into 
unexplored enemy tunnel networks, while combating small arms fire, 
heavy machine gun engagements, mortar attacks and improvised explosive 
devices. While conducting their primary mission, Captain Keen's 
dismounted patrol was engaged by the enemy, isolating one member of his 
patrol. After observing the enemy firing position was in close 
proximity to women and children, he maneuvered 75 meters to another 
position, preventing civilian causalities while simultaneously 
eliminating threats. Sergeant Moore was also performing his duties of 
lowering and recovering Marines into tunnel systems in order to destroy 
enemy lethal aide. While moving to an objective through a known 
concentration of improvised explosive devices, a supporting tank struck 
such a device. Without regard for his own safety, Sergeant Moore 
maneuvered with his team's vehicle to rescue the tank crew. He treated 
the tank crew, and soon after his own vehicle was struck by an 
improvised explosive device and began receiving enemy mortar fire. 
Despite the dire situation, Sergeant Moore maintained security and 
safeguarded the disabled tank crew, enabling the success of the 
operation.
  For their actions in the summer of 2012, all five of these men have 
been awarded the Bronze Star with Valor. I wish to thank these great 
men for their selfless service and dedication to our nation. They are 
all my heroes.

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