Pete Domenici: “as we meet here just days from the anniversary of the terrorist attacks on our country, it is my sad duty to report that…”

“as we meet here just days from the anniversary of the terrorist attacks on our country, it is my sad duty to report that another of my statesmen has lost his life in the war on terror. Sergeant First Class Christopher James Speer, a former resident of Albuquerque, NM, died on August 7, 2002 as a result of wounds he sustained during a firefight with suspected terrorists in Afghanistan. Today, I want to take a few moments to convey my condolences to the Speer family, and to talk a little bit about who this special young man was. Christopher Speer was a 1992 graduate of Sandia High School in Albuquerque. Upon graduation, he enlisted in the United States Army and became a medical specialist. In 1994, he volunteered for and was selected for Special Forces training. After completing this training, he was assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Airborne Group at Fort Bragg, North Carolina where he served as a medical sergeant. Last spring, Christopher was sent to Afghanistan as part of a Joint Special Operations task force. On July 27th of this year, Christopher took part in a U.S. operation aimed at confirming intelligence about enemy activities in one of the most dangerous parts of Afghanistan. During that operation, our troops were ambushed and a four-hour gunbattle ensued. During this battle, five American personnel were wounded, and one of them--Christopher Speer--lost his life.”