On the recordJune 22, 2010
2 weeks ago, the Seventh Congressional District of Michigan and our country lost a hero. On June 9, First Lieutenant Joel Gentz of Grass Lake, east of Jackson, was killed while completing a helicopter rescue mission in southern Afghanistan. He was 25 years old. The people that I serve will never forget the sacrifices he made because of the love of his country. I would like to share his story with you. Joel ran cross-country at Chelsea High School, where he graduated in 2002. He attended Purdue University and graduated with honors in aerospace engineering in 2007. In June 2008, Joel married Kathryn Sullivan, his college sweetheart. They had just celebrated their second wedding anniversary when he lost his life. I spoke with Kathryn on Saturday. She has truly lost her best friend. Joel originally wanted to be an astronaut, but through his ROTC program, he met combat rescue officers, learned about their mission, and decided what he wanted to do most was to help people. As part of the Air Force's 58th Rescue Squadron, First Lieutenant Gentz spent 2 years becoming a combat rescue officer. He completed Superman School, a training program with a 60 to 90 percent dropout rate. The intense program takes 2 years, and only the strongest finish. Joel was one of about 14 that graduated of the 90 that started in his class.
