Madam Speaker, it is with profound sorrow that I rise to recognize the loss of a brave civilian in Iraq, Nathan J. Schuldheiss, a resident of Newport who served his country with dignity and honor.  I join his family and the people of Rhode Island in mourning this great loss.

With a father in the Air Force, Special Agent Schuldheiss grew up traveling across the country.  He graduated from La Cueva High School in Albuqurque, New Mexico, received a political science degree from Gonzaga University, and received a law degree from the University of Rhode Island.  Schuldheiss, 27, had dreams of one day working for the CIA or FBI and continuing his extensive traveling. 

Schuldheiss volunteered his services to become a civilian counterintelligence specialist with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, assigned to Detachment 204 at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska.  He had spent five months in Iraq with his team seeking out insurgents that might pose a threat to servicemembers in the region.  On November 1st, Schuldheiss was on his way to interview a group of informants when an improvised explosive device was detonated.  Schuldheiss and two other members of his team died of wounds suffered from the blast. 

Those that knew Special Agent Schuldheiss remember his sense of humor, his leadership, his loyalty, and his sense of adventure.  Most importantly, he had a positive impact on those around him.  His loss certainly causes us all to reflect on the bravery demonstrated by our men and women who carry out their obligations in the face of danger.  When Special Agent Schuldheiss’s nation called him to duty to preserve freedom, liberty and security, he answered without hesitation. We will remember him as a patriot who made the ultimate sacrifice for his country.

May we keep Special Agent Schuldheiss’s loved ones in our thoughts and prayers as they endure this difficult period, especially his father, Jeff; his mother, Sarah Conlon; and his sister, Erin.  May his memory live on forever.

We will also continue to hope for the safe and speedy return of all of our troops serving throughout the world.

Thank you, Madam Speaker.