A Navy cryptologist who was one of four Americans killed during an Islamic State suicide bomb attack at a restaurant in northern Syria last month has been laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.
Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon M Kent was the first female Navy service member killed in the fight against ISIS.
As a crypologic technician, Kent was tasked with collecting valuable intel for special operations missions in the Middle East, relying on her mastery of languages - including four Arabic dialects.
The 35-year-old from New York state is remembered by loved ones as a wife and mother of two, a cancer survivor, an avid marathon runner, a Congressional lobbyist and - above all - an American patriot.
More than a thousand people attended Kent's funeral earlier this month in Annapolis, Maryland.
Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon M Kent (above), a 35-year-old Navy cryptologist who was one of four Americans killed during an Islamic State suicide bomb attack at a restaurant in northern Syria last month, was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday
Kent was the first female Navy service member killed in the fight against ISIS. More than a thousand people attended her funeral earlier this month in Annapolis, Maryland (above)
Kent was buried on Monday at Arlington National Cemetery, a 624-acre plot where military members have been laid to rest dating back to the Civil War (file photo)
Kent's sister Mariah Smith spoke to ABC News this week ahead of the sailor's burial at Arlington National Cemetery.
On her wrist, Smith wears a bracelet with the words: 'F*** ISIS' - a gift from one of Kent's Navy teammates, who gave it to her at the memorial and said: 'I think you need this more than me right now.'
In the wake of her sister's passing, Smith is planning to help her brother-in-law Joe, a former Green Beret, raise Kent's two young sons now that their mother is gone.
'I'm going to do the best I can, but I'm not the same as her,' Smith said.
She also hopes to bring one of her sister's lifelong dreams to life by founding a horse therapy farm for children and veterans suffering from PTSD.
Kent hailed from Pine Plains, New York, and enlisted in the Navy in 2003. She has been remembered by loved ones as a wife and mother of two young twin boys, a cancer survivor, marathon runner, Congressional lobbyist and - above all - an American patriot
Kent's sister Mariah Smith (right with Kent) spoke to ABC News this week ahead of the sailor's burial at Arlington National Cemetery. She said she plans to move close to where Kent's husband and children live in Annapolis so she can help the family cope with their loss
Kent hailed from Pine Plains, New York, and was the daughter of high-ranking police field commander Col Stephen Smith.
She enlisted in the Navy in December 2003, motivated in part by the events of September 11, 2011, as both her father and her uncle, a New York City fire chief, had been among the first responders on the scene of the terror attack.
Kent graduated from boot camp at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Illinois, in February 2004 and joined the Navy's linguist program because of her love for languages.
She served with the Navy Information Operations Command in Fort Gordon, Georgia; the Navy Special Warfare Support Activity 2 in Norfolk, Virginia; the Personnel Resource Development Office in Washington, DC, and the Navy Information Operations Command at Fort George Meade.
After four combat tours to Iraq and Afghanistan, Kent was assigned to the Cryptologic Warfare Activity 66 based at Fort Meade last August.
The unit's commanding officer, Cmdr Joseph Harrison, described Kent as 'a rock star, an outstanding chief petty officer, and leader to many in the Navy Information Warfare community'.
During her time in the service, Kent was awarded a number of accolades, including the Joint Service Commendation Medal, Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Rifle Marksmanship Ribbon and Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon.
After serving on four combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, Kent voluntarily deployed to Syria at the Navy's request late last year. She was killed in the suicide attack by ISIS two months later. The crypologic technician is pictured above during her first tour in Iraq in 2007
Kent had been accepted into a Navy PhD program for clinical psychology and desired to work with veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. To enter the program, Kent would have to commission as a Navy officer.
Her plans hit a snag when she failed a medical exam during the commission process because she'd previously been diagnosed with thyroid cancer, which was in remission.
She was denied a waiver from the Navy, which prompted her to lobby Congress to change the waiver process so that qualified enlisted sailors like herself could be commissioned.
While she was in the process of lobbying Congress, Kent voluntarily deployed to Syria at the Navy's request in late 2018, despite having two young children at home.
Her sister Smith told ABC News: 'She didn't want to not deploy because she also wanted people to respect and understand that she was a warrior, and there was nothing that was going to hold her back from the mission, even though her family is more important. She still had a duty.'
Adam Elliott, who served with Kent on three combat tours in Iraq, told the outlet: 'Shannon needs to feel like she's making a difference, feel like she's contributing.
'It didn't matter how much she gave, it was never enough.'
Two months into her deployment, Kent was killed while having lunch at a popular market in Manbij, Syria.
More than a dozen others were killed during that attack, including three Americans: Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jonathan R Farmer, 37, of Boynton Beach, Florida, who was based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky; a civilian, Scott A Wirtz, from St Louis, Missouri, and a civilian contractor.
After Kent's death, the Navy instituted a new policy aimed at improving 'the quality, fairness, and consistency of the medical waiver process for all enlisted to officer commissioning programs'.
Four Americans were killed when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive vest outside a popular grill house in the central market of the northern town of Manbij on January 16. It was the deadliest attack to hit US troops since they deployed to Syria in 2014
Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jonathan R Farmer, 37, of Boynton Beach, Florida (left) and Defense Department civilian Scott A Wirtz of St Louis, Missouri (right) were killed in the attack
Cryptologic Warfare Group 6's ceremonial honor guard personnel is seen presenting the colors at Kent's memorial on February 8 in Annapolis, Maryland
https://hienalouca.com/2019/02/26/navy-cryptologist-killed-in-syria-last-month-is-laid-to-rest-at-arlington-national-cemetery/
Main photo article A Navy cryptologist who was one of four Americans killed during an Islamic State suicide bomb attack at a restaurant in northern Syria last month has been laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.
Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon M Kent was the first female Navy service member killed in t...
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Dianne Reeves US News HienaLouca
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/02/26/17/10317304-6747827-image-m-54_1551203326714.jpg
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