LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION mourning the untimely death of Staff Sergeant
Keith R. Bishop, and paying tribute to his courageous actions as a
member of the United States Army

WHEREAS, The courage and bravery of our military personnel since the
United States Armed Forces commenced Operation Iraqi Freedom will ensure
our continued role as a Nation which embodies the ideals of democracy,
and as a defender of liberty for people throughout the world; and
WHEREAS, Members of the Armed Services from the State of New York, who
have served so valiantly and honorably during Operation Enduring Free-
dom, deserve a special salute from this Legislative Body; and
WHEREAS, It is with feelings of deepest regret that this Legislative
Body mourns the untimely death of Staff Sergeant Keith R. Bishop, and
pays tribute to his courageous actions as a member of the United States
Army; and
WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Keith R. Bishop died on October 26, 2009, when
the helicopter he was in crashed in Afghanistan; and
WHEREAS, In April of 2003, Staff Sergeant Keith R. Bishop enlisted
into the United States Army as an Infantryman; he was assigned to the
First Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, Camp Grieves, Korea; and
WHEREAS, He later served with the 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regi-
ment, 2nd Infantry Division before deciding to pursue his goal of becom-
ing a Special Forces Soldier by attending the Special Forces Selection
and Assessment in 2007; and
WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Keith R. Bishop completed the Special Forces
Qualification Course in October of the following year and earned the
coveted Green Beret as a Special Forces Weapons Sergeant, being assigned
to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group; and
WHEREAS, He was deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in
July 2009 as a member of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task
Force; Afghanistan was his second deployment in support of the War on
Terror; and
WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Keith R. Bishop was working in Afghanistan as
part of a team to stem the flow of heroin-producing opium that helps
bankroll the anti-U.S. insurgency, when the MH-47 helicopter he was
flying in crashed in Badghis province, Northwestern Afghanistan; and
WHEREAS, The banner of freedom will always wave over our beloved New
York and all of America, the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave;
and
WHEREAS, Residents of this great State must never forget the courage
with which these men and women served their country, and must recognize
that no greater debt is owed than that owed to those who gave their
lives for their beloved Nation and to those who continue to be missing
in action; and
WHEREAS, The freedoms and security we cherish as Americans come at a
very high price for those serving in the military in times of conflict;
it is fitting and proper that we who are the beneficiaries of those who
risk their lives, leaving their families behind, express our appreci-
ation and eternal gratitude for their sacrifices and courageous acts;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the untimely death of Staff Sergeant Keith R. Bishop, and to pay
tribute to his courageous actions as a member of the United States Army;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the family of Staff Sergeant Keith R. Bishop.