This #MemorialDay I remember Navy Senior Chief Shannon Kent, killed by a suicide bomber in Syria, 2019.

Kent -a mother of 2 & a member of our IW Community- spoke 7 languages, had multiple combat deployments w/ SEALs, survived cancer & was working towards a PhD.

The best of us.

She won awards being a top human intelligence collector and linguist across FIVE combat deployments.

She ran a 3:30 marathon.

She was a code breaker.

She was the noncommissioned officer in charge at the National Security Agency’s operations directorate.

She was incredible.

Shannon was the first and only (to date) enlisted sailor to have their memorial service at the Naval Academy Chapel.

Thousands attended. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/15/magazine/how-shannon-kents-peers-honored-her-career-with-a-sea-of-khaki.html

I am proud to wear her name on my wrist.

For me, it serves as a continuous reminder of someone who embodied service beyond self, as well as a bias to action and sacrifice that we should all strive towards in matters important to us.

Fair winds and following seas, Senior Chief.