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Born in Oswego, New York on May 11, 1985 Senior Chief Shannon Kent was an intellectual, a family woman, a trailblazer, and a patriot. Coming from a family of teachers, first responders, and military service was in her blood. After two years of college, she enlisted in the United States Navy, later claiming that she felt called after the 9/11 attacks. Upon graduating boot camp, she became a cryptologic technician and volunteered as an individual augmentee in Iraq and was assigned to a Special Operations Task Force in Balad. A rarity as a woman serving along such a unit, her reputation quickly began to grow.
After this deployment, she became the first woman to successfully complete the Naval Special Warfare Direct Support Course and was subsequently assigned to the Navy Special Warfare Support Activity 2 in Norfolk, Virginia. At this time, she had a reputation as a skilled cryptologist, able to speak fluently in seven languages. In 2013, she attended selection for a Special Missions Unit where she met her husband, Green Beret Joe Kent. After successfully completing their selection, they married on Christmas Eve of 2014. Quickly, they began growing their family. Shannon became a mother of two, all while completing her bachelor's degree and serving full time in an elite special operations unit. On top of her academic, family, and military life, she was a talented mosaic artist, gardener, and completed a Tough Mudder run while seven months pregnant. In 2016, she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, and swiftly returned to work several days after a surgical removal.
While completing her Master’s studies, Kent decided to pursue a doctorate in psychology, so she could be both a present mother and help veterans with PTSD. She was accepted into the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences Clinical Psychology PhD program, but they quickly refused to allow her to commission as an officer, citing her cancer as a disqualifier. Shannon contested this decision, going as far as to take it to Congress. After visiting every congress member in New York and Maryland, as well as others on the armed forces committee, the regulations were amended. However, this was not before her next deployment to Syria in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. On January 19th, 2019, Shannon Kent along with three other Americans were killed at the hands of an ISIS suicide bomber. She became the first woman to be killed in the fight against ISIS and first woman killed by enemy fire in over three years.
A decorated servicewoman, Shannon Kent received two Joint Service Commendation Medals, the Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medal, an Army Commendation Medal, and a Joint Service Achievement Medal. She was additionally recognized for her work done with the NSAs directorate for Special Operations. The Navy posthumously promoted her from Chief Petty Officer to Senior Chief Petty Officer. She is survived by her two sons Colten and Josh, and her husband Joe Kent, who is now the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center.
