(militarytimes.com)
CEDAR FALLS, IA – Congressman Rod Blum and Senator Joni Ernst will host a post office renaming ceremony at the Cedar Rapids Post Office to honor the sacrifice of Sergeant First Class Terryl L. Pasker. In June of 2016, President Obama signed into law H.R. 4605 to rename the Cedar Rapids Post Office on 6th Ave SE after Sergeant First Class Terryl L. Pasker for his selfless service and sacrifice to our country.
“I am grateful that President Obama signed this bipartisan legislation honoring the memory of Sergeant Pasker, and am looking forward to taking the final step in properly honoring Sergeant Pasker and the entire Pasker family,” said Congressman Blum. “Renaming this postal facility after Sergeant Pasker will serve as a permanent reminder of the sacrifice he made on behalf of our country, as well as honoring all those who have served the United States in the armed forces.”
“When our state and country called on him to serve, Sergeant First Class Terryl L. Pasker made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our freedoms,” said Senator Ernst. “It has been an honor to work with the Cedar Rapids community and Representative Blum in making this dedication a reality. While we can never thank him and his family enough for their service and sacrifice, I am pleased the ‘Sergeant First Class Terryl L. Pasker Post Office’ will now be a permanent tribute to his heroism.”
Sergeant First Class Pasker enlisted in the Army in 1990, and in 1995, he joined the Iowa National Guard. He first deployed to Afghanistan from 2004 to 2005, and again chose to return in 2010 with the 334th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division. He and several other Iowa Guardsmen from his unit were responsible for mentoring Afghan police and military leadership. On July 9th, 2011, Sergeant First Class Terryl L. Pasker gave his last full measure of devotion to his country when, at a checkpoint in Panjshir Province, Afghanistan, he was killed at the age of 39, only days before the end of his combat tour.
He is survived by his wife, Erica; parents, Mary and David; brother, Andrew, and two sisters, Christine and Rebecca.
