Bill Text: TX HR1720 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: In memory of U.S. Army Captain Andrew Michael Pedersen-Keel.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)
Status: (Passed) 2013-05-07 - Reported enrolled [HR1720 Detail]
Download: Texas-2013-HR1720-Enrolled.html
| H.R. No. 1720 | ||
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| WHEREAS, The family and friends of U.S. Army Captain Andrew | ||
| Michael Pedersen-Keel suffered an immeasurable loss with the death | ||
| of this valiant soldier on March 11, 2013, at the age of 28; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 3rd Special | ||
| Forces Group (Airborne), out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Captain | ||
| Pedersen-Keel was killed in Jalrez District, Afghanistan, while | ||
| supporting Operation Enduring Freedom; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Andrew Pedersen-Keel was born on June 8, 1984, in | ||
| South Miami, Florida, to Helen Pedersen and Henry Keel; he grew up | ||
| in Madison, Connecticut, and attended Avon Old Farms High School, | ||
| where he was admired for his charisma and for his athletic prowess | ||
| on the wrestling, lacrosse, and football teams; and | ||
| WHEREAS, After graduating in 2002, Captain Pedersen-Keel | ||
| became a member of the first class to enter the U.S. Military | ||
| Academy at West Point after 9/11, earning a bachelor's degree in | ||
| American legal studies in 2006; he went on to attend the Infantry | ||
| Officer Basic Training Course and the U.S. Army Ranger School at | ||
| Fort Benning, Georgia, after which he was assigned to Fort Hood as | ||
| an infantry rifle platoon leader with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, | ||
| 1st Infantry Division; and | ||
| WHEREAS, In June 2008, Captain Pedersen-Keel was deployed to | ||
| Afghanistan with the 3rd Brigade as a company executive officer, | ||
| and in September of that year, he became the leader of 3rd Platoon, | ||
| B Company, in Kandahar Province, leading his platoon on more than | ||
| 150 combat foot patrols and three air assault operations; during | ||
| that time, he was promoted to the rank of captain; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Returning home in 2009, Captain Pedersen-Keel | ||
| volunteered for the Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course; | ||
| he went on to attend the Maneuver Captains Career Course in 2010, | ||
| and in 2011, he graduated from the Special Forces Qualification | ||
| Course; he was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces | ||
| Group, as an ODA commander before being deployed in August 2012 for | ||
| a second tour in Afghanistan, where he dedicated himself to | ||
| training the Afghan army; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Captain Pedersen-Keel's decorations and awards | ||
| include two Bronze Stars, the Army Commendation Medal, the National | ||
| Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Global | ||
| War on Terror Expeditionary Medal, the NATO Medal, the Combat | ||
| Infantryman Badge, the Expert Infantryman Badge, the Ranger Tab, | ||
| the Special Forces Tab, the Pathfinder Badge, the Air Assault | ||
| Badge, and the Parachutist Badge; he also received posthumously a | ||
| third Bronze Star and a Purple Heart; and | ||
| WHEREAS, During his time at Fort Hood, this outstanding young | ||
| man learned to love Central Texas; he took particular pleasure in | ||
| visiting friends and family in Austin and in running with his dog, | ||
| Lady, on the hike and bike trail around Lady Bird Lake; he was | ||
| engaged to be married, and he had recently purchased a home in North | ||
| Carolina; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Taking to heart the motto of the U.S. Army Special | ||
| Forces, de oppresso liber, "to free the oppressed," Andrew | ||
| Pedersen-Keel embodied the highest ideals of our nation's armed | ||
| forces, and the memory of his courage, patriotism, and kindness | ||
| will continue to inspire and comfort all those he leaves behind; | ||
| now, therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas | ||
| Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of U.S. Army Captain | ||
| Andrew Michael Pedersen-Keel and extend sincere condolences to the | ||
| members of his family: to his mother, Helen Pedersen Keiser and her | ||
| husband, Bob Keiser; to his father, Henry Keel; to his sister, Mary | ||
| Elizabeth Keel; to his fiancee, Celeste Pizza; and to his other | ||
| relatives and friends; and, be it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be | ||
| prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of | ||
| Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Captain | ||
| Andrew Michael Pedersen-Keel. | ||
| Anderson | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Speaker of the House | ||
| I certify that H.R. No. 1720 was unanimously adopted by a | ||
| rising vote of the House on May 1, 2013. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
