[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 8897]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               IN MEMORY OF SERGEANT KYLE CLAYTON THOMAS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Mississippi (Mr. Kelly) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. KELLY of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I am humbled to rise today in 
the memory of Mississippi Army National Guard Sergeant Kyle Clayton 
Thomas, who was killed on May 29, 2017, in a rollover incident at the 
National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California. Sergeant Thomas and 
three other soldiers were conducting combat maneuvers in an M1A2 SEPv2 
Abrams Main Battle Tank.
  Sergeant Thomas, an Amory native and a 2011 Amory High School 
graduate, was assigned to Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion 198th Armored, 
155th Armored Brigade headquartered out of Tupelo, Mississippi.
  He has been described as a compassionate person who loved life and 
spending time with his family. When his daughter, Devina Jayde Smith, 
was born, an incredible bond was formed between Sergeant Thomas and his 
daughter. Sergeant Thomas' father, Eddie Thomas, says the whole family 
is proud of his son's commitment to his family and to the defense of 
this great Nation.
  He divided his time between his job at NauticStar Boats manufacturing 
plant in Amory and service in the Mississippi Army National Guard.
  His mother, Jo Ann Boussouar, says her son was always interested in 
the military. As a young boy, Sergeant Thomas would say that he wanted 
to be a tank driver.
  The family says he excelled at soccer in high school, where he earned 
a scholarship to play at Itawamba Community College, but his patriotism 
led him down a different path, and he turned down the scholarship and 
joined the Mississippi Army National Guard. Ms. Boussouar says her son 
was able to fulfill his dream and to serve in the military. She is 
proud of her son's willingness to sacrifice his life for the safety of 
his family and of this Nation.
  Prior to the incident, several colleagues and I went to Fort Irwin to 
discuss our defense readiness capabilities at the National Training 
Center, and we observed the tactical operations being carried out by 
the 155 Brigade Combat Team of the Mississippi Army National Guard, my 
brigade, the brigade that I deployed twice with. While I did not get to 
meet Sergeant Thomas while I was there, I did meet several other 
soldiers that were just like him and that were dedicated to serving and 
preserving the way of life we have in this great Nation.
  Sergeant Thomas died on Memorial Day, the day our Nation has set 
aside to honor those servicemen and women who have fought and died to 
protect the freedoms we all enjoy. We cannot forget what this national 
holiday means to the families like Sergeant Thomas', who have 
experienced this loss. We can never forget those who gave all for the 
greatness of this Nation.
  Dixie Thunder, Sergeant Thomas, Dixie Thunder.

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