Camacho has been awarded the Purple Heart five times and served three tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In addition to attending President Obama’s State of the Union address in the House of Representatives chamber, Camacho accompanied Sablan throughout much of the work day on Capitol Hill.
The two met with Interior Secretary Ken Salazar at a meeting of the Congressional Asian and Pacific American Caucus, of which Sablan is a member.
Sablan also introduced Camacho to Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.
“It was my honor to introduce Staff Sgt. Brandon Camacho to leaders here in Congress,” said Sablan. “Sgt. Camacho is someone that all of us in the Northern Mariana Islands can be very proud to call one of our own.”
Brandon Camacho was born on Saipan, the son of the late Vicente “Pakitu” Cabrera Camacho and Cindy Bower. He left the islands at the age of 15 and enlisted in the U.S. Army at 18.
Recently elected Congressman Bill Owens, a Democrat who represent the upstate New York district where Fort Drum, Camacho’s current duty station is located, dropped in Sablan’s office to have his picture taken with the sergeant.
Owens also was treated to the apigigi Sablan keeps on hand for guests.
Earlier in the day, Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., too, had his photo taken with Camacho for publication in papers in North Carolina, where the sergeant’s mother and sister now reside.
