83R22859 JGH-D

By: Anderson H.R. No. 1720

R E S O L U T I O N

WHEREAS, The family and friends of U.S. Army Captain Andrew Michael Pedersen-Keel suffered an immeasurable loss with the death of this valiant soldier on March 11, 2013, at the age of 28; and

WHEREAS, Assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Captain Pedersen-Keel was killed in Jalrez District, Afghanistan, while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom; and

WHEREAS, Andrew Pedersen-Keel was born on June 8, 1984, in South Miami, Florida, to Helen Pedersen and Henry Keel; he grew up in Madison, Connecticut, and attended Avon Old Farms High School, where he was admired for his charisma and for his athletic prowess on the wrestling, lacrosse, and football teams; and

WHEREAS, After graduating in 2002, Captain Pedersen-Keel became a member of the first class to enter the U.S. Military Academy at West Point after 9/11, earning a bachelor's degree in American legal studies in 2006; he went on to attend the Infantry Officer Basic Training Course and the U.S. Army Ranger School at Fort Benning, Georgia, after which he was assigned to Fort Hood as an infantry rifle platoon leader with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division; and

WHEREAS, In June 2008, Captain Pedersen-Keel was deployed to Afghanistan with the 3rd Brigade as a company executive officer, and in September of that year, he became the leader of 3rd Platoon, B Company, in Kandahar Province, leading his platoon on more than 150 combat foot patrols and three air assault operations; during that time, he was promoted to the rank of captain; and

WHEREAS, Returning home in 2009, Captain Pedersen-Keel volunteered for the Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course; he went on to attend the Maneuver Captains Career Course in 2010, and in 2011, he graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course; he was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group, as an ODA commander before being deployed in August 2012 for a second tour in Afghanistan, where he dedicated himself to training the Afghan army; and

WHEREAS, Captain Pedersen-Keel's decorations and awards include two Bronze Stars, the Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal, the NATO Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Expert Infantryman Badge, the Ranger Tab, the Special Forces Tab, the Pathfinder Badge, the Air Assault Badge, and the Parachutist Badge; he also received posthumously a third Bronze Star and a Purple Heart; and

WHEREAS, During his time at Fort Hood, this outstanding young man learned to love Central Texas; he took particular pleasure in visiting friends and family in Austin and in running with his dog, Lady, on the hike and bike trail around Lady Bird Lake; he was engaged to be married, and he had recently purchased a home in North Carolina; and

WHEREAS, Taking to heart the motto of the U.S. Army Special Forces, de oppresso liber, "to free the oppressed," Andrew Pedersen-Keel embodied the highest ideals of our nation's armed forces, and the memory of his courage, patriotism, and kindness will continue to inspire and comfort all those he leaves behind; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of U.S. Army Captain Andrew Michael Pedersen-Keel and extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his mother, Helen Pedersen Keiser and her husband, Bob Keiser; to his father, Henry Keel; to his sister, Mary Elizabeth Keel; to his fiancee, Celeste Pizza; and to his other relatives and friends; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Captain Andrew Michael Pedersen-Keel.