[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 2] [Senate] [Page 1934] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES Staff Sergeant Chad A. Barrett Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the service and sacrifice of SSG Chad Barrett. Sergeant Barrett was assigned to the 64th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division out of Fort Carson, CO. He died last Saturday in Iraq at the age of 35. A native of Jonesborough, TN, Chad grew up in a family with a proud history of service. By joining the Army, he followed in the footsteps of his older brothers, his cousins, and his grandfather, who earned the Purple Heart in World War II. Chad was in his 12th year of service and his third deployment to Iraq when he died. He took on one of the most dangerous jobs of the war: that of a gunner tasked with defending supply convoys. Those convoys see it all: improvised explosive devices, rocket attacks, explosively formed penetrators, ambushes. Protecting the convoys is a job that takes courage, but it also takes a toll. In his second deployment, Sergeant Barrett's unit was attacked 42 times. He put himself in harm's way and no doubt saved countless lives, but each day, each mission, and each fight has a cost that we often forget. However steely one's nerves or how strong one's will, the daily sacrifices of our soldiers do cause wounds and injuries of their own. These wounds are sometimes less visible than those of a bullet or a blast, but they are no less painful and certainly no less deadly. Mr. President, the daily heroics of Chad's service in Iraq will be remembered long after the words from this floor fade. This was a lesson of our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, as he honored the tens of thousands who perished at Gettysburg. ``The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.'' As we honor the life of Sergeant Barrett, may we embrace this charge and rededicate ourselves to our unfinished work and to the dream for which every soldier serves--that of achieving stable and lasting peace. To Sergeant Barrett's wife, Michelle, his sons, Guston and Zachary, his parents, Linda and Ronnie, and to all his family and friends, our thoughts and prayers are with you. I cannot imagine the pain and grief that you are feeling. In time, though, I hope your sorrow will be salved by the knowledge that Chad served his country with honor and that we are all grateful for his courage, sacrifice, and daily heroism. May his legacy always endure. ____________________