[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 7]
[House]
[Pages 9617-9618]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1730
         SERGEANT FIRST CLASS WILLIAM B. WOODS, JR. POST OFFICE

  Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 728) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 7050 Highway BB in Cedar Hill, Missouri, as the 
``Sergeant First Class William B. Woods, Jr. Post Office''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 728

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SERGEANT FIRST CLASS WILLIAM B. WOODS, JR. POST 
                   OFFICE.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 7050 Highway BB in Cedar Hill, Missouri, 
     shall be known and designated as the ``Sergeant First Class 
     William B. Woods, Jr. Post Office''.
       (b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     facility referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be 
     a reference to the ``Sergeant First Class William B. Woods, 
     Jr. Post Office''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
North Carolina (Mr. Walker) and the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands 
(Ms. Plaskett) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from North Carolina.


                             General Leave

  Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
to include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from North Carolina?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise in support of H.R. 728, introduced by Representative Blaine 
Luetkemeyer. H.R. 728 designates the post office located at 7050 
Highway BB in Cedar Hill, Missouri, as the Sergeant First Class William 
B. Woods, Jr. Post Office.
  Sergeant First Class Woods was a Special Forces senior medical 
sergeant and native of Hermann, Missouri. After graduation from 
Northwest High School in Cedar Hill, Missouri, he enlisted with the 
United States Marine Corps as a rifleman in 1996. Sergeant First Class 
Woods later enlisted in the United States Army, and in 2003, he 
attended the Special Forces qualifications course. Sergeant First Class 
Woods earned the distinguished green beret and was deployed to 
Afghanistan in July 2009 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
  He gave his life for his country about a month later. On August 16, 
2009, in a hospital in Germany, Sergeant First Class Woods died from 
wounds he sustained while conducting a mounted patrol in Ghazni 
province, Afghanistan, 2 days before.
  Sergeant First Class Woods will be remembered not only for his 
personal accomplishments, graduating from many of the Army's elite 
schools and earning numerous medals, but also as the example of courage 
and sacrifice. I urge Members to support this bill to name a post 
office in honor of this brave young soldier.
  I would like to add that Congressman Luetkemeyer was, unfortunately, 
unable to make it this evening for the consideration of his bill, so I 
will submit for the Record a statement from the Congressman.

[[Page 9618]]

  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I am pleased to join my colleagues in supporting H.R. 728, a bill to 
designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
7050 Highway BB in Cedar Hill, Missouri, as the Sergeant First Class 
William B. Woods, Jr. Post Office.
  Born in Hermann, Missouri, William Woods, Jr., studied photography at 
Montana State University. Following in the footsteps of a long line of 
military men in his family, William enlisted in the United States 
Marine Corps in 1996.
  There, he served as a scout sniper until joining the U.S. Army 
Special Forces as a senior medical sergeant in 2003. He was assigned to 
B Company, 2nd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group and was stationed 
in Glen Arm, Maryland.
  Tragically, while serving as a doctor in Ghazni province, 
Afghanistan, Sergeant First Class Woods, Jr., was shot and killed while 
on patrol on August 16, 2009.
  Sergeant First Class Woods, Jr., is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, 
and two daughters, Lily and Ella. He is remembered as an adventurous 
outdoorsman, as well as a dedicated family man, loyal husband, and 
loving father. Sergeant First Class Woods, Jr., received a number of 
awards, including the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart, for his 
service.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill 
to honor the valiant service and sacrifices of Sergeant First Class 
William B. Woods, Jr., and of his family. I urge the passage of H.R. 
728.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I urge the adoption of this bill, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my 
legislation, H.R. 728, which would designate the facility of the United 
States Postal Service located at 7050 Highway BB in Cedar Hill, 
Missouri as the ``Sergeant First Class William B. Woods, Jr. Post 
Office.''
  SFC Woods was a decorated constituent of the Third district of 
Missouri who dedicated his life to protecting our country. After 
graduation from Northwest High School in Cedar Hill, Missouri, he first 
enlisted with the United States Marine Corps in 1996 as a rifleman, and 
later enlisted in the United States Army where he attended the Special 
Forces Qualification Course in 2003 and earned the Green Beret. While 
in the U.S. Army, SFC Woods was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 20th 
Special Forces Group (Airborne) and deployed to Afghanistan in 2009 
during Operation Enduring Freedom.
  On August 16, 2009, SFC Woods died in Germany from wounds sustained 
while conducting a mounted patrol in the Ghazni Province, Afghanistan 
on August 14, 2009. He is survived by his loving wife, Elizabeth, and 
two daughters.
  SFC Woods' many awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, 
Purple Heart Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Navy and Marine Corps 
Achievement Medal, National Defense Medal, and Afghanistan Campaign 
Medal with Bronze Service Star, among many others.
  I am honored to name this post office after SFC Woods. His dedication 
and sacrifices for our country should not go unnoticed, and it is the 
least I can do to honor such a courageous soldier.
  I want to thank the entire Missouri Delegation for coming together to 
cosponsor this legislation, and Chairman Chaffetz for promptly 
considering this legislation in the House Oversight and Government 
Reform Committee. It would be an honor to name the Cedar Hill post 
office in my district after this courageous soldier, and I urge my 
colleagues to support this legislation.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Walker) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 728.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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