CORZINE ORDERS FLAGS TO FLY AT HALF-STAFF TO HONOR U.S. ARMY STAFF SERGEANT JOSEPH CHIOMENTO II

The Executive Order is below:

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 22

            WHEREAS, United States Army Staff Sergeant Robert Joseph Chiomento II of Pennsville, New Jersey, and Fort Polk, Louisiana, was raised on military bases in the United States and Germany  before moving to Fort Dix, New Jersey, with his family; and

            WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Chiomento graduated from Pemberton Township High School in 1990 and then enlisted in the United States Army in 1991; and

           Whereas, Staff Sergeant Chiomento proudly served in the United States Army as the son of a career soldier; and

           WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Chiomento was subsequently deployed to Afghanistan in 2006, after volunteering for a combat assignment with the Army’s elite 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry  Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division; and

            WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Chiomento gave his life in the line of duty while on combat patrol near Khwaya Ahmad, Afghanistan; and

            WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Chiomento served his country with honor and distinction and has received and has been recommended for some of our nation’s highest military honors; and

WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Chiomento was a committed soldier who loved his family, parents, wife, daughters, friends, and community; and

WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Chiomento was, in turn, loved by his wife, his daughters, his parents, and his many friends and neighbors who take great pride in his commitment, professionalism, and achievements; and

            WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Chiomento has made the ultimate sacrifice, giving his life in the line of duty while serving our country in Afghanistan; and

            WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Chiomento’s patriotism and dedicated service to his country and to his fellow soldiers make him a hero and a true role model for all Americans; and

WHEREAS, it is appropriate and fitting for the State of New Jersey to mark his passing, remember his family as they mourn their loss, and honor his memory;

            NOW, THEREFORE, I, JON S. CORZINE, Governor of the State of New Jersey, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and by the Statutes of this State, do hereby ORDER and DIRECT:

1.                  The flag of the United States of America and the flag of New Jersey shall be flown at half-staff at all State departments, offices, agencies, and instrumentalities during appropriate hours on Tuesday, August 1, 2006, in recognition of the life and in mourning of the passing of United States Army Staff Sergeant Robert Joseph Chiomento II.

2.                  This order shall take effect immediately.