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2006 SESSION
WHEREAS, United States Army Staff Sergeant Ayman A. Taha, aged 31, of Vienna, was killed in the line of duty in Balad, Iraq, on December 30, 2005; and
WHEREAS, Sudanese-born, Ayman Taha attended elementary school in McLean and secondary school in England while his father worked for the World Bank; he graduated from the University of California at Berkeley, earned a master's degree in economics, and was working towards his doctoral degree from the University of Massachusetts; and
WHEREAS, three years ago, Ayman Taha, a native Arabic speaker, decided to join the United States Army under a special program for individuals with unique skills; he earned the Green Beret after completing airborne school and becoming a Special Forces Engineer in 2003; and
WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Taha was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and was deployed to Iraq in 2004; and
WHEREAS, because of his international experiences, Staff Sergeant Taha was compassionate, disciplined, and multicultural by nature; he was very interested in military affairs from an early age; he spoke English, Arabic, Spanish, and Portuguese; and he ardently believed in helping the people of the Middle East; and
WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Taha was buried at Arlington National Cemetery with military honors, following a Muslim funeral service held at the All Dulles Area Muslim Society Center in Sterling, Virginia; and
WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Taha was devoted to his wife and daughter, who live in Clarksville, Tennessee; his beloved parents, who reside in Northern Virginia; his two sisters; and numerous other family members and friends; and
WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Ayman A. Taha's death is a reminder of the hazards faced daily by the thousands of young Americans who serve in our armed forces overseas and whose devotion to duty places them in harm's way; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of a courageous and patriotic Virginian, Staff Sergeant Ayman A. Taha; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Staff Sergeant Ayman A. Taha as an expression of the high regard in which his memory is held by the members of the General Assembly and the citizens of Virginia.