This is not an official government website.
Copyright © 2026 PLEJ LC. All rights reserved.
Congressional Daily Record
This section is a tribute, commemoration, or district-facing statement. It mentions members such as Jeff Crank.
Issued
March 25, 2026
house side of the record
People
1
Linked members mentioned in this section
Legislation
0
No linked legislation in this section
Committees
0
No linked committees in this section
Senate Holds
0
No hold activity linked here
Source Document
Connected Data
People mentioned
Source Control
Reader mode is for comprehension. The linked government PDF is the official published source.
Download official House Record PDFReturn to issue contextMr. Crank of Colorado was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.)
Mr. CRANK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join the nation in mourning the loss of Sergeant Benjamin N. Pennington, assigned to the 1st Battalion, 1st Space Brigade in my district at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs.
from a young age. Even as a kid, he knew he wanted to be an American soldier. Here beside me is one of his drawings he made in kindergarten where he wrote: “I love America because I want to fight for my country,” at 5 years old. He would even spend all day outside playing Army man with his friends and with his neighbors, dreaming of the day he would be able to wear a uniform. He enjoyed watching the Military Channel and reading books about the military. Even his childhood bedroom was decorated with Army prints and military planes hanging from the ceiling.
of his time to Boy Scouts, later proving his dedication to serving by achieving the rank of Eagle Scout.
an American hero. With his determination, his compassion, and his natural charismatic demeanor, no act of service was ever too small.
his Eagle Scout ceremony, Benjamin enlisted in the United States Army as a supply unit specialist, where he quickly earned the trust of his colleagues and senior officials.
he served a tour in Korea before ultimately being stationed at Fort Carson. While there, Benjamin fell in love with the beauty of the nature and the mountains of Colorado Springs. It was there that he also found the comfort of home in church, giving his life to Christ through baptism in January of this year.
Benjamin enjoyed going to Major League Baseball games and had the goal to see a game at every MLB stadium.
the call to defend our freedoms from those who sought to harm our country. Tragically, on March 8, Benjamin was only 26 years young when he gave the ultimate sacrifice, succumbing to his injuries during an enemy attack at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. His sacrifice is a grave and sobering reminder of the dangers our men and women in uniform face in the Middle East and across the globe to defend our Nation and our freedoms.
the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Army Commendation Medal. In recognition of his true bravery and his true sacrifice, the United States Army has announced that he will be posthumously promoted to the rank of staff sergeant, an enduring testament to the courage and sacrifice to our Nation that will not be forgotten.
Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join me in honoring Sergeant Pennington's noble sacrifice.