Bill Text: VA SJR210 | 2016 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator Edward Byers.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2016-03-10 - Bill text as passed Senate and House (SJ210ER) [SJR210 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2016-SJR210-Enrolled.html
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WHEREAS, Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator Edward Byers, a member of the elite United States Navy SEALs, became the third member of the United States Navy since the Vietnam War to receive the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during a rescue operation in Afghanistan; and WHEREAS, a native of Toledo, Ohio, Senior Chief Byers joined the United States Navy in 1998 and completed Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training in 2002; he has deployed overseas eight times, including seven tours in combat; and WHEREAS, in December 2012, Senior Chief Byers participated in a night raid to rescue Dr. Dilip Joseph, an American doctor who had been abducted by the Taliban; Senior Chief Byers and the rescue team traversed mountainous terrain for four hours to reach the doctor's location, a small, one-room building in the remote Laghman Province of Afghanistan; and WHEREAS, Senior Chief Byers was the second team member into the building and, upon hearing a man speaking in English, located and selflessly shielded the hostage from the ensuing firefight; he identified an enemy combatant nearby and pinned him to the wall with one hand while still covering the hostage; and WHEREAS, with the hostage secure, Senior Chief Byers, who is trained as a paramedic, helped provide medical assistance to a fellow SEAL who was fatally wounded during the operation; and WHEREAS, Senior Chief Byers was presented with the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest award, at a special ceremony in Washington, D.C., on February 29, 2016; he had previously earned five Bronze Star Medals and two Purple Hearts and is the 11th living service member to receive the Medal of Honor for action in Afghanistan; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator Edward Byers on receiving the Medal of Honor for his valorous actions in service to the nation; and, be it RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator Edward Byers as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for his exceptional service and sacrifices in defense of the Commonwealth and the United States. |
