,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #chcg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,february #aa1 
#bjbf,ms4 ,ernst introduced the         
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
designate the clinic of the ,department 
of ,veterans ,affairs in ,des ,moines1  
,iowa1 as the ,staff ,sergeant ,edgar   
,torres-,tovar ,,va ,clinic and to      
designate the community-based outpatient
 clinic of the ,department in           
,marshalltown1 ,iowa1 as the ,staff     
,sergeant ,william ,nathaniel ,howard   
,,va ,clinic4  #a4 ,short title ,this   
,act may be cited as the ,iowa ,national
 ,guard ,heroes ,commemoration ,act4    
#b4 ,designation of ,staff ,sergeant    
,edgar ,torres-,tovar ,,va ,clinic  7a7 
,findings ,congress finds the following3
 7#a7 ,staff ,sergeant ,edgar ,brian    
,torres-,tovar was born in ,de,kalb1    
,illinois1 on ,october #ag1 #bjjj1 and  
raised in ,des ,moines1 ,iowa4  7#b7    

,staff ,sergeant ,torres-,tovar         
graduated from ,dowling ,catholic ,high 
,school in ,west ,des ,moines1 ,iowa1 in
 #bjai4  7#c7 ,on ,february #ba1 #bjai1 
,staff ,sergeant ,torres-,tovar enlisted
 in the ,united ,states ,army4  7#d7    
,staff ,sergeant ,torres-,tovar was the 
first in his family to serve in the     
,armed ,forces4  7#e7 ,staff ,sergeant  
,torres-,tovar deployed to ,kosovo in   
,november #bjbj1 supporting ,united     
,states and allied operations1 and      
deployed to ,syria in ,july #bjbe in    
support of ,operation ,inherent         
,resolve4  7#f7 ,staff ,sergeant        
,torres-,tovar served as a ,cavalry     
,scout with ,troop ,b1 #ast ,squadron1  
#aacth ,cavalry ,regiment1 #bnd ,brigade
 ,combat ,team1 #cdth ,infantry         
,division of the ,iowa ,national ,guard4
  7#g7 ,on ,december #ac1 #bjbe1 ,staff 
,sergeant ,torres-,tovar was killed in  
action in ,palmyra1 ,syria1 while       
supporting ,united ,states              
counterterrorism operations4  7#h7      

,staff ,sergeant ,torres-,tovar was     
awarded the ,bronze ,star ,medal with   
,valor1 the ,purple ,heart1 the ,combat 
,action ,badge1 and the ,army           
,commendation ,medal with ,combat       
,device for heroic service during combat
 operations in support of ,operation    
,inherent ,resolve4  7b7 ,designation   
,the clinic of the ,department of       
,veterans ,affairs located at #abaa     
,east ,army ,post ,road1 ,des ,moines1  
,iowa1 shall after the date of the      
enactment of this ,act be known and     
designated as the ,staff ,sergeant      
,edgar ,torres-,tovar ,,va ,clinic or   
the ,edgar ,torres-,tovar ,,va ,clinic4 
7c7 ,references ,any reference in any   
law1 regulation1 map1 document1 paper1  
or other record of the ,united ,states  
to the clinic referred to in subsection 
7b7 shall be considered to be a         
reference to the ,staff ,sergeant ,edgar
 ,torres-,tovar ,,va ,clinic4  #c4      
,designation of ,staff ,sergeant        
,william ,nathaniel ,howard ,,va ,clinic

  7a7 ,findings ,congress finds the     
following3 7#a7 ,staff ,sergeant        
,william ,nathaniel ,nate ,howard was   
born on ,august #ad1 #aiif1 in          
,marshalltown1 ,iowa4  7#b7 ,staff      
,sergeant ,howard graduated from        
,marshalltown ,high ,school in #bjad4   
7#c7 ,at the age of #ag1 while a high   
school senior1 ,staff ,sergeant ,howard 
enlisted in the ,iowa ,national ,guard  
on ,november #bg1 #bjac1 completing     
basic combat training and advanced      
individual training at ,fort ,benning1  
,georgia4  7#d7 ,staff ,sergeant ,howard
 deployed to ,kosovo from ,november     
#bjbj to ,july #bjba in support of      
,united ,states and allied operations1  
served on the ,texas border from ,april 
#bjbd to ,may #bjbd1 and deployed to    
,syria in ,july #bjbe in support of     
,operation ,inherent ,resolve4  7#e7    
,staff ,sergeant ,howard served as a    
,cavalry ,scout with ,troop ,b1 #ast    
,squadron1 #aacth ,cavalry ,regiment1   
#bnd ,brigade ,combat ,team1 #cdth      

,infantry ,division of the ,iowa        
,national ,guard4  7#f7 ,on ,december   
#ac1 #bjbe1 ,staff ,sergeant ,howard was
 killed in action in ,palmyra1 ,syria1  
while supporting ,united ,states        
counterterrorism operations4  7#g7      
,staff ,sergeant ,howard was awarded the
 ,bronze ,star ,medal with ,valor1 the  
,purple ,heart1 the ,combat ,action     
,badge1 and the ,army ,commendation     
,medal with ,combat ,device for heroic  
service in combat4  7b7 ,designation    
,the outpatient clinic of the           
,department of ,veterans ,affairs       
located at #bja ,east ,merle ,hibbs     
,boulevard1 ,marshalltown1 ,iowa1 shall 
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act be known and designated as the     
,staff ,sergeant ,william ,nathaniel    
,howard ,,va ,clinic or the ,nate       
,howard ,,va ,clinic4  7c7 ,references  
,any reference in any law1 regulation1  
map1 document1 paper1 or other record of
 the ,united ,states to the clinic      
referred to in subsection 7b7 shall be  

considered to be a reference to the     
,staff ,sergeant ,william ,nathaniel    
,howard ,,va ,clinic4