Page 1 of 2
Regular Session, 2014 ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 96
BY SENATORS ADLEY, ALARIO, ALLAIN, AMEDEE, APPEL, BROOME, BROWN,
BUFFINGTON, CHABERT, CLAI TOR, CORTEZ, CROWE,
DONAHUE, DORSEY-COLOMB, ERDEY, GALLOT, GUILLORY,
HEITMEIER, JOHNS, KOSTELKA, LAFLEUR, LONG, MARTINY,
MILLS, MORRELL, MORRISH , MURRAY, NEVERS, PEACOCK,
PERRY, PETERSON, RISER, GARY SMITH, JOHN SMITH,
TARVER, THOMPSON, WALSWORTH, WARD AND WHI TE
A RESOLUTION
To express the sincere condolences of the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana to the
family of United States Army Staff Sergeant Richard Vazquez upon his death in
combat action in Afghanistan.
WHEREAS, Richard Vazquez was born in Mansfield, Louisiana, and moved with
his family to Seguin, Texas, in 2000, where he impressed the high school and community
with his exceptional athletic abilities becoming the star quarterback for the Seguin
Matadores; and
WHEREAS, the 2004 Seguin High School graduate immediately enlisted in the U.S.
Army as an infantry soldier, and after training, he was assigned to the 3
rd
Brigade Combat
Team, 101
st
Airborne Division at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky; and
WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Vazquez was assigned to be his squad's Radio Telephone
Operator and Junior Scout Observer and was soon deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom
from 2005 to 2006; and
WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Vazquez was again deployed to Iraq from 2007 to 2008,
where he served as a Team Leader, but he had higher aspirations and eventually volunteered
to become a member of the Army's Special Forces and wear the Green Beret; and
WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Vazquez graduated from the Special Forces Qualification
Course in 2010, and as a Special Forces Weapons Sergeant he was assigned to Bravo
Company, 3
rd
Battalion, 7
th
Special Forces Group (Airborne), stationed at Eglin Air Force
Base in Florida; and
WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Vazquez continued to train hard and successfully
completed the U.S. Army Basic Airborne Course, U.S. Army Air Assault School, Combat
Lifesaver Course, Warrior Leader Course, the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape SR NO. 96 ENROLLED
Page 2 of 2
Course, Senior and Master Mountaineer Courses, and Special Operations Force Sensitive
Site Exploitation Advanced Operator Course; and
WHEREAS, as the war in Iraq was drawing to a close, Staff Sergeant Vazquez, now
an experienced and highly trained infantry asset, was deployed to Afghanistan for three tours
where men of his skills and abilities were needed in Operation Enduring Freedom; and
WHEREAS, it was on his fifth combat deployment to Southwest Asia that Staff
Sergeant Vazquez received a mission to conduct a dismounted patrol in Kandahar Province
on November 13, 2013; and
WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Vazquez was twenty-eight years old when he and his unit
engaged a heavily armed enemy force in the small town of Pamjwai, Afghanistan, and he
was mortally wounded by an improvised explosive device used by the enemy; and
WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Vazquez' awards and decorations include the Purple
Heart, the Army Commendation Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Achievement
Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Meritorious Unit Citation, two awards of the Army Good
Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal with one
Campaign Star, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service
Medal, the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon with Numeral 2,
the Army Service Ribbon, two awards of the Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal,
the Master Driver Badge, the Air Assault Badge, the Parachutist Badge, the Special Forces
Tab and the highly prized Combat Infantryman Badge.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
does hereby extend its deepest and most profound condolences to the family of U.S. Army
Special Forces Staff Sergeant Richard Vazquez for their immeasurable loss and his brave
total sacrifice in the service of his country.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to Staff
Sergeant Vazquez' mother Teresa Paddle and his father Ted Vazquez.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE