This is a Senate resolution honoring two Iowa Army National Guard sergeants, William Nathaniel Howard and Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, who were killed in a terrorist attack on December 13, 2025, near Palmyra, Syria. Both men were serving as part of counter-terrorism operations against Islamic State remnants when a gunman opened fire on U.S. and partner forces. Sergeant Howard, 29, from Marshalltown, Iowa, had served over 11 years in the National Guard. Sergeant Torres-Tovar, 25, from Des Moines, Iowa, had joined the National Guard before graduating high school in 2019. The attack also killed a U.S. civilian interpreter and wounded three other Iowa National Guard soldiers.

This resolution doesn't create new laws or policies—instead, it's a formal statement from the Senate expressing respect for these soldiers' service and sacrifice. The resolution condemns the terrorist attack, extends sympathy to the families and communities affected, and praises the bravery of the National Guard members and allied forces who responded to the attack. The Senate is also requesting that an official copy of this resolution be sent to the families of both sergeants as a formal acknowledgment of their loss and the nation's gratitude for their service.

A resolution honoring the service and sacrifice of United States Army Sergeant William Nathaniel Howard and United States Army Sergeant Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, who were killed in action in Palmyra, Syria, in a targeted assault against United States service members on December 13, 2025.