Delgado Bill to Rename Pine Plains Post Office for Fallen Soldier Shannon Kent Moves to Oval Office

Delgado Bill to Rename Pine Plains Post Office for Fallen Soldier Shannon Kent Moves to Oval Office

WASHINGTON, DC—This week, the U.S. Senate passed Representative Antonio Delgado’s bipartisan legislation to rename the Pine Plains Post Office after fallen soldier Senior Chief Petty Officer (SCPO) Shannon M. Kent. SCPO Kent, a Dutchess County native, was killed in Syria by a suicide bombing during her fifth combat tour in the Middle East this past January.

“Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon M. Kent devoted her life to protecting our country and defending our democracy—and with Senate passage of this legislation, we are one step closer to renaming the Pine Plains Post Office the Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon M. Kent Post Office.” Delgado continued, “the courage and devotion to our nation shown by SCPO Kent should be an inspiration to us all. I urge the President to sign this bill into law as soon as possible to honor the life and legacy of SCPO Kent in this permanent way.”

Rep. Delgado introduced this bipartisan bill in April along with Reps. Elise Stefanik (NY-21), Joseph Morelle (NY-25), Kathleen Rice (NY-04), and Anthony Brindisi (NY-22) to rename the Pine Plains Post Office, located at 7722 South Main Street, the “Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon M. Kent Post Office.” This post office is located in SCPO Kent’s hometown. Rep. Delgado’s bill passed the House on October 16.

In 2016, SCPO Kent survived thyroid cancer, and in 2018 commissioned for a special officer program to earn a Ph.D. in clinical psychology at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences. She was later disqualified, having not met the required medical standards established under Department of Defense (DOD) Instruction 6130.03 to commission as an officer in the armed forces. She appealed, and was denied a waiver by the Navy, and in November 2018 deployed to Syria. SCPO Kent was the recipient of the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, two Joint Service Commendation Medals, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, and the Joint Service Achievement Medal.

SCPO Kent, who passed at the age of 35, was a wife and a mother of two beautiful children. Following her passing, Rep. Delgado honored SCPO Kent’s life on the floor of the House of Representatives and has spearheaded efforts in Congress to change the DOD regulation that forced SCPO Kent to deploy to Syria rather than pursue academic study.

Author: Harlem Valley News