[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 2316-2317]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           IN HONOR OF MASTER SERGEANT GEORGE A. BANNAR, JR.

                                  _____
                                 

                           HON. PAUL A. GOSAR

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, January 31, 2014

  Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I was honored to attend the grand opening and 
dedication ceremony of the Military Free Fall School's new Master 
Sergeant George A. Bannar Jr. Vertical Wind Tunnel at Yuma Proving 
Ground. The new wind tunnel will be used in the Special Forces 
Qualification Course to teach proper free fall techniques.
  Master Sergeant Bannar, the new wind tunnel's namesake, was a member 
of the Army's

[[Page 2317]]

Special Forces and was stationed at Yuma Proving Ground as a Military 
Free Fall Instructor. He enlisted in the Army in October 1996 and 
graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course in July 2003. On 
his fifth deployment to Afghanistan, Master Sergeant Bannar was killed 
in action by enemy forces in Wardak Province on August 20, 2013. His 
awards include the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star.
  Master Sergeant Bannar is survived by his wife Michelle, his mother 
Sheila Long, and his father George Bannar, Sr. As a husband and a 
father of three, I cannot imagine the pain of losing a spouse or a 
child. I extend my deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Master 
Sergeant Bannar.
  I know that this new facility and the men and women who train there 
will stand as a testament to Master Sergeant Bannar and all of our 
fallen heroes. They fought to protect us and our freedoms. May we never 
forget their sacrifice.

                          ____________________