IV 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 134 

Honoring the life of Chief Petty Officer Shannon M. Kent. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 14, 2019 

Mr. DELGADO (for himself, Ms. STEFANIK, and Mr. BUDD) submitted the 

following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services 

RESOLUTION 

Honoring the life of Chief Petty Officer Shannon M. Kent. 

Whereas Chief Petty Officer Shannon M. Kent was born in 

Pine Plains, New York, to Stephen and Mary Smith; 

Whereas Chief Petty Officer Kent enlisted in the United 

States Navy on December 11, 2003, after graduating 

with honors from Stissing Mountain High School, New 

York; 

Whereas Chief Petty Officer Kent, a 2005 graduate of the 

Defense Language Institute, was fluent in five languages 

and six dialects of Arabic; 

Whereas Chief Petty Officer Kent quickly rose through the 

ranks and served as a member of the Cryptologic Warfare Unit of the Navy, stationed at Fort Meade, Maryland; 


pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
2 

•HRES 134 IH 

Whereas Chief Petty Officer Kent deployed with the Navy 

SEALs to Iraq three times from 2007 to 2011 and to Afghanistan in 2012; 

Whereas Chief Petty Officer Kent was diagnosed with and 

survived thyroid cancer in 2016; 

Whereas Chief Petty Officer Kent was deemed cancer free by 

her doctors and cleared for all physical activity; 

Whereas, in March 2018, Chief Petty Officer Kent was selected to participate in a special officer program to earn 

a Ph.D. in clinical psychology at the Uniformed Services 

University of the Health Sciences; 

Whereas Chief Petty Officer Kent was disqualified, having 

not met the physical standards established under Department of Defense Instruction 6130.03, from seeking the 

commission as an officer in the Armed Forces required 

to participate in the special program because of her history of thyroid cancer; 

Whereas Chief Petty Officer Kent appealed to the Department of the Navy to establish a standardized waiver process for members of the Armed Forces who meet retention 

and deployment standards but fail to meet the heightened 

accession standards regarding the physical fitness of such 

members; 

Whereas Chief Petty Officer Kent received an ‘‘outstanding’’ 

rating on her Physical Readiness Test in May 2018, 

deeming her medically fit to serve in a combat zone while 

she remained medically unfit to pursue a Ph.D.; 

Whereas Chief Petty Officer Kent, having been denied a 

waiver and an appeal from the Department of the Navy 

to seek a commission as an officer in the Armed Forces, 

deployed to Syria in November 2018; 


pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
3 

•HRES 134 IH 

Whereas, on January 16, 2019, at 35 years of age, Chief 

Petty Officer Kent was killed in a suicide bombing in 

Manbij, Syria, while supporting Joint Task Force–Operation Inherent Resolve; 

Whereas Chief Petty Officer Kent served in five combat tours 

in the Middle East, including Afghanistan, Iraq, and finally Syria; 

Whereas Chief Petty Officer Kent was the recipient of the 

Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, two Joint Service Commendation Medals, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, and 

the Joint Service Achievement Medal, among other decorations and awards; and 

Whereas Chief Petty Officer Kent is survived by her husband 

and two children: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) honors the life of Chief Petty Officer Shan3 non M. Kent; 

4 (2) recognizes the meritorious service of Chief 

5 Petty Officer Kent to the United States in combat 

6 operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria; 

7 (3) expresses condolences to the family of Chief 

8 Petty Officer Kent on her passing; and 

9 (4) urges the Department of the Navy and the 

10 Department of Defense to continue to review and 

11 engage with Congress regarding the effect of chapter 

12 15 of the Manual of the Medical Department of the 

13 Navy and Department of Defense Instruction 


pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
4 

•HRES 134 IH 

1 6130.03 on members of the Armed Forces who meet 

2 retention and deployment standards but fail to meet 

3 accession standards. 

Æ 


pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS