Van Hollen, Cardin Praise the Naming of Salisbury Post Office After Sgt. Maj. Wardell B. Turner

U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) praised Senate-passage of H.R. 4913, designating the United Postal Service Office at 816 East Salisbury Parkway in Salisbury, Maryland, as the “Sgt. Maj. Wardell B. Turner Post Office Building.” Sgt. Maj. Wardell B. Turner admirably served multiple deployments with the U.S. Army, most notably as the senior enlisted advisor for the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan in Kabul. He was killed in 2014 after a convoy of coalition troops was struck by a hidden Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in Eastern Kabul.

The legislation now passed by the full Congress will go to President Trump to be signed into law.

“Our country owes a debt of gratitude to Sgt. Maj. Turner and his family that can never truly be repaid. But I hope this effort to recognize his sacrifice will help our community memorialize his service and remind future generations of all that he has done for our nation. Sgt. Maj. Turner’s legacy will not be forgotten,” said Senator Van Hollen.

“Sgt. Maj. Turner’s legacy is one worth remembering. To serve multiple tours of duty in an active war zone is the mark of unparalleled selflessness and patriotism. Sgt. Maj. Turner set an example for future generations of leaders, and that example deserves to be memorialized,” said Senator Cardin. “This honor serves as an enduring commemoration of his life, as well as the sacrifice he – and his family – made for our country.”

Sgt. Maj. Wardell B. Turner graduated from Bennett High School in Salisbury, Maryland, in 1984. He proceeded to study management on an athletic scholarship at Towson University, graduating in 1989, and later pursued a Masters in Criminal Justice at Missouri State University, receiving his degree in 2011. Sgt. Maj. Turner enlisted in the Army in 1993, a decision that took him to bases across the country and around the world. His postings included those in Germany and South Korea, as well as deployments to Bosnia in the 1990s and Iraq in 2003. His most recent service was with the 720th Military Police Battalion base at Fort Hood, Texas.

Sgt. Maj. Turner was assigned to the headquarters of the U.S. Army Garrison at Fort Drum in New York when he was called to Afghanistan in 2014. There, he served as the senior enlisted advisor for the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan in Kabul. He was killed as a convoy of coalition troops drove by an IED hidden in the median strip of a street in Eastern Kabul. The Sgt. Major planned this deployment to be his last, hoping to spend more time with his family in retirement.

Despite his international career, Sgt. Maj. Turner loved spending family summers on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Those closest to him described him as a devoted family man. He is survived by his five children, three grandchildren, and his wife, Katherine.

###