[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Page 14636]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES


                      Staff Sergeant Aaron Butler

  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, it is with great reverence that I rise 
today to pay tribute to one of Utah's great soldiers, SSG Aaron Butler, 
who was tragically killed on August 16, 2017, by an improvised 
explosive device in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. On that fateful 
day, Butler was searching for Islamic State loyalists in a booby-
trapped building and was caught in an explosion that took his life and 
injured 11 of his comrades.
  Staff Sergeant Butler was a member of the Bravo Company, 1st 
Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group of the Utah National Guard. 
Butler's desire to serve in our Nation's military started at a young 
age when, as a first-grader, he told his family he would grow up to be 
a soldier. His actual military service began in high school when he 
enlisted in the Utah National Guard. Staff Sergeant Butler continued to 
look for opportunities to make a difference, and a few years later, he 
began the very difficult Special Forces training. He graduated from 
this program with honors on January 14, 2016. He deemed it a tremendous 
honor to don the Green Beret.
  Butler has been described as a natural leader, an accomplished 
athlete, and an adventurous soul. As a young man, he excelled in 
football and wrestling. In fact, through talent and sheer 
determination, Butler became a four-time State wrestling champion, only 
the 17th wrestler in Utah history to accomplish such a feat. He loved 
the outdoors and embraced the scouting program, earning the rank of 
Eagle Scout.
  Butler loved to serve his fellow men and women and did it in variety 
of ways including, as a full-time missionary for the Church of Jesus 
Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Ghana Cape Coast Mission in Africa. 
During this time, he spent months improving the infrastructure and 
daily lives of those living there. He also brought a message of peace 
and testified of the love our Savior, Jesus Christ, has for all his 
children.
  I have been deeply touched by the many tributes and words of honor 
offered on behalf of this courageous soldier since this tragedy 
occurred. He was a truly remarkable young man and a seasoned soldier 
who possessed an unwavering commitment to what is right and good.
  Butler also had a great love for our Nation's military. His Special 
Forces teammates described him as a ``warrior,'' an ``incredible man, 
teammate, and friend,'' and someone who ``fought with everything he had 
to the very end,'' but perhaps the greatest tribute paid to this brave 
soldier was simply stated by his brother, Shane Butler, who said, 
``[Aaron] showed us how to live.''
  Butler leaves behind his loving parents, Randy and Laura Butler of 
Monticello, UT; six brothers and one sister; his fiancee, Alexandra 
Seagrove, and many neighbors, fellow soldiers, and friends.
  The men and women of our Nation's military are my heroes. I honor 
them for their courage, their service, and their sacrifice. I am deeply 
humbled by this young man's life and his willingness to pay the 
ultimate sacrifice. May God bless the friends and family of Staff 
Sergeant Butler with peace and comfort at this difficult time. I am 
certain Aaron's life will have a lasting impact on his family, his 
community, and the country he loved.

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