lost Army SSG Sean Flannery who died a hero in Afghanistan. He is from the town of Wyomissing, PA, in Bucks County. He was an infantry squad leader who was killed after delivering first aid to a wounded Afghan soldier. Sean and his team carried the man to an evacuation helicopter. They stepped on an improvised explosive device which killed Sean and another soldier. Staff Sergeant Flannery was 29 years old. After he graduated from Wyomissing High School in 1999 and Shippensburg University, he was determined to serve his country. He was on his fourth tour of duty after having served two tours in Iraq and a prior tour in Afghanistan. He earned a Bronze Star because of his heroism and then another commendation last week. One of his high school classmates paid tribute to his friend at a service earlier this week. He said:
His fellow soldiers talked about how much they respected him and what a great leader he was and how they had true love for him, and not a word of it surprised us. He was the type of guy everybody wants their son to be—loyal, humble, and generous. I was honored to have him as a friend.
That is what Matt Rader, a classmate of Sean Flannery's, said about Sean.
All of us are honored to represent these young men and women who fight for us and some who die for this cause. Today we pray for those families. We pray for Sean and his family. But in the larger sense I guess we pray for ourselves as well. We pray that we are worthy and can prove ourselves worthy of their valor.
One of the ways Members of the Congress can prove ourselves worthy of that valor is to ask and demand answers to these very difficult questions, no matter who the administration is and no matter what party, because we have to get this policy right. We have an obligation to get it right, for Sean Flannery and for those who have loved and lost, and for our country.
Mr. President, I yield the floor.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore.The Senator from Utah.
Mr. HATCH.Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that at the conclusion of my remarks, the distinguished Senator from Rhode Island, Senator Reed, be given time on the floor for his remarks.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore.Without objection, it is so ordered.
TRIBUTE TO JACE JOHNSON
Mr. HATCH.Mr. President, I wish to take a moment to pay tribute to someone who is very special and very dear to me, my former Chief of Staff, Jace Johnson. Over this past recess, I learned that my Chief of Staff, Jace Johnson, would be leaving the Senate to pursue opportunities in the private sector.
Change often catches us by surprise. As the Presiding Officer can imagine, I had come to rely on the talents and insight that Jace offered over many these past years. He was my strong right arm, someone in whom I had complete confidence, and still do. For 8 years, Jace worked on my staff and dedicated his efforts to serving Utah and improving our country. Undoubtedly, his work ethic and his straightforward approach to public service have greatly benefited us all. Jace is sorely missed by all of us on our staff and all of us in our office. He provided strong leadership at a time when it was absolutely crucial to us.
To fully understand the void created by Jace's absence, one has to know a bit more about him. When you walked into Jace's office, you were greeted by proudly displayed Utah college and university pennants. Aside from making an interesting and welcoming environment, the banners proclaimed Jace's passion for sports. Like me, he spent his boyhood as an avid basketball player. I regret we never had the opportunity for a one-on-one game, but I am still convinced I would have kicked his tail and I would have won. Although when I think about it, he is in a lot better shape than I am.
His love of hoops led Jace to play basketball at Snow College in central Utah. Soon thereafter, Jace served a 2-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints in the Philadelphia, PA area. Being from smalltown Idaho, I can only imagine the new experiences Philadelphia had to offer. It undoubtedly left quite an impression. His wife Cori credits her husband's time in Philadelphia for his willingness to venture back to the east coast after college.
Jace and Cori met while they were attending college at Brigham Young University in Provo, UT. They have three wonderful children—Ashley, Benjamin, and Christian. Upon finishing school at BYU, Jace and Cori made the move to Washington, DC, so he could attend graduate school at George Washington University and earn his MBA.
While Jace was still in school, he actually worked in my office as an intern. He didn't stay long, however, because as the saying goes, he had bigger fish to fry. By the time he returned to Capitol Hill to work on a more permanent basis, he had already achieved remarkable success in the business world. After working for a few years at Visa International, he became the director of finance at the Corvis Corporation, a cutting-edge network and media solutions company. Jace was the third employee to be hired at Corvis when it was still a startup, and while he was there he helped secure financing for the company as it prepared to go public in the year 2000. Jace's contribution to Corvis allowed the company to grow from a small startup employing a handful of people into an international company with more than 3,000 employees and a value of $40 billion.
Jace joined my staff in 2002, coming on as a legislative assistant, working mostly on telecommunications issues. In that position, he demonstrated the keen understanding and strategic thinking that had made him such a success in the business world. After 3 years, I appointed him to be my legislative director, and in that position he continued to excel and became a vital and integral part of my efforts here in the Senate. I grew to depend on him more and more, and in January of 2008, Jace took over as my Chief of Staff.
I used to joke with him that working for me was only a hobby, because he didn't need the money. Of course, anyone who knew and worked with Jace can attest that is simply not true. He put his heart and soul into his work in the Senate. For Jace, failure wasn't permissible, so he spent early mornings and late nights ensuring the work was done and done right. His commitment to me personally and to my work here in the Senate was rooted in his belief—a belief he reiterated at every opportunity—that what we were doing was in the best interests of our country and for the people of Utah.
I think what I appreciated most about Jace is his unwavering honesty. In a town filled with people who only want to tell you what they want you to hear, Jace was refreshingly direct and straightforward. I have always attributed this to the fact that he is, to put it bluntly, just a little bit smarter—maybe not just a bit smarter, a whole lot smarter—than most people. People who don't see the big picture and who can't predict what might happen down the line have the need to hedge bets, cover bases, and speak without committing. Jace Johnson has never had that problem. When a goal is identified and a plan set in motion, he is usually a few steps ahead of everyone else and he can see where problems might arise. Chances are he has already come up with solutions to those problems. An individual with that kind of rare insight and understanding has the license to speak directly where others would hem and haw. I was lucky enough to be the beneficiary of Jace's ability to speak frankly and honestly, and on more than one occasion that meant I was on the receiving end. I think I can speak for every Member of the Senate when I say that that kind of support from staff is a treasured commodity.
It is very clear I will miss Jace Johnson on my staff. However, I think it would be even more telling to hear from some of the people of Utah who have high praise for Jace and the service he has rendered.
Utah Governor Gary Herbert had this to say:
Jace is a man of great insight and understanding. He is able to think strategically and anticipate potential roadblocks, which has, and will continue, to serve him well. I wish him the best of luck and success in his new position.
Jason Perry, Governor Herbert's Chief of Staff, said:
