05/26/2025
Just remember this is why you have your day off. This is why your on your vacation. This is why you’re having your cookout. This is you get to swim around in your fancy pools or go to your nice place at the lake or the beach.
This is why YOU HAVE YOUR FREEDOM.
Memorial Day is to HONOR and pay respect to our brothers and sisters who gave it ALL. The ultimate sacrifice.
I ask each of you to take just a little time today and think about that. Think about families and fellow soldiers that has lost a soldier to give us our freedom.
Lest We Forget...
Shannon M. Kent, Senior Chief Petty Officer, US Navy:
Born May 11, 1985, in Oswego, New York, Shannon M. Smith was forged in a family of service—her father a New York State Police Colonel, her uncle a firefighter, both 9/11 responders, and her brother a Marine.
Her path was clear: duty called louder than college. On December 11, 2003, she enlisted in the Navy, trading textbooks for the crucible of service. After boot camp Shannon became a cryptologic technician, mastering languages—Spanish, French, Portuguese, Arabic—and rising swiftly through the ranks. In 2007, she volunteered for Iraq, joining a Special Operations Task Force in Balad to hunt high-value targets.
Her presence, rare for a woman, broke barriers. Assigned to Baghdad, her skill in deciphering signals intelligence earned her a reputation as a linchpin in Joint Special Operations Command, paving the way for women in Special Operations Forces.In 2009, she deployed again to Baghdad, proving herself anew to skeptical teams, her resolve unyielding.
By 2013, she trained with elite warriors in a Special Missions unit selection course, where she met Joe Kent, her future husband. They married on Christmas Eve 2014, building a family amid relentless duty. Shannon balanced motherhood—bearing two sons, C**t and another—while earning her bachelor’s degree, running marathons, and serving in elite units.
Even a 2016 thyroid cancer diagnosis couldn’t stop her; she was back to work days after surgery.Her dream to become a Doctor of Psychology to aid veterans with PTSD led her to fight Navy regulations that barred her from a PHD program due to her cancer history.
She stormed Congress, challenging senators to rewrite rules, her tenacity sparking change. But in 2018, duty called again. Deploying to Operation Inherent Resolve in Syria, she faced the unrelenting dangers of war.
On January 16, 2019, in Manbij, Syria, a su***de bomber struck. Shannon, alongside Green Beret Jonathan Farmer, civilian Scott Wirtz, and contractor Ghadir Taher, was killed—the first female U.S. service member killed by enemy fire in Syria. The Islamic State claimed the attack. She was 33. Her death left a void.
Thousands mourned at the Naval Academy’s chapel, honoring a warrior who shattered ceilings and saved lives through her SIGINT work. Posthumously promoted to Senior Chief Petty Officer, she was awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and more. New York’s flags flew at half-staff; her hometown hailed her a hero.
Buried in Arlington, Shannon’s legacy endures: the Navy amended the regulation she fought, a testament to her unyielding spirit. She was the recipient of the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, and many more decorations.
To learn more about the brave women in combat please check out the Book & Audiobook: Women In War: A Gripping Collection of the Untold True Stories of History's Bravest Women Warriors. The book and audiobook are available worldwide on most major book sites.
Amazon link: https://a.co/d/e9z3dwB
