Warrior, mother, cancer survivor: Navy cryptologist killed in Syria laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

On Mariah Smith's wrist is a bracelet that reads "F*** ISIS" in all capital letters.

It was a gift she received during a memorial at the U.S. Naval Academy to honor her sister, Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon M. Kent, one of four Americans killed in an Islamic State suicide attack at a restaurant in northern Syria on Jan. 16 -- the deadliest day for U.S. forces since entering the country in 2015.

(MORE: 3 of the Americans killed in bomb blast in northern Syria identified)

"I think you need this more than me right now," Kent's Navy teammate told Mariah as he handed her the bracelet.

More than a thousand people crowded into the Annapolis, Maryland, chapel that day to honor Kent, who served as a Navy cryptologic technician, collecting valuable information for special operations missions.

PHOTO: Attendees of a memorial held in Senior Chief Cryptologic Technician (Interpretive) Shannon M. Kent's honor bow their heads during the invocation. The memorial was held at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., Feb. 8, 2019. (U.S. Navy) More

The 35-year-old from upstate New York was a master of languages and intelligence collection, a wife and mother of two, a cancer survivor, marathon runner, Congressional lobbyist and a deeply patriotic warrior with a passion for serving her country.

On Monday, she was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.

Her life and legacy, Smith said, will live on for a very long time.

'There was nothing that was going to hold her back from the mission'

Kent's decision to enlist in the military was fueled by the events of Sept. 11, 2001. Both her father, a colonel with New York State police, and uncle, a New York City fireman, were among the first responders to the attacks, and her family instilled a deep respect for professions of service.

She chose the Navy for its linguist program. Kent had a passion for languages from a young age, even dropping her lunch period in high school so she could take both Spanish and French. Once in the Navy, she learned several more languages including four dialects of Arabic.

(MORE: Why are US troops in the Syrian city of Manbij?)

Her language skills made her a valuable asset for Special Operations Forces, including Navy SEAL teams that she deployed with in Iraq and Afghanistan. As a chief cryptologic technician, part of Kent's job was talking to locals in order gain intelligence that would shape how missions were conducted.

Adam Elliott, who served three combat tours in Iraq with Kent, said she was, at first, a surprising person to find embedded with the elite teams.

PHOTO: Shannon Kent, left, dances with her younger sister Mariah Smith. Senior Chief Cryptologic Technician (Interpretive) Kent and three other Americans were killed in an ISIS suicide attack in northern Syria on Jan. 16, 2019. (Shannon Kent's Family) More

"Everybody there ... were these gruff-looking, thousand-yard-stare dudes — Navy SOF guys. Then you got this little petite, red hair, blue eyes…just in the middle of all this, all these guys, not hesitating to get in there and get dirty," Adam told ABC News.

Kent could throw a male teammate on her back in one try, he said. But her toughness always came with a smile.

"Shannon was a perfect mix of humility and pride, professionalism and goofiness. If she was wearing a smile, there's no way in hell you weren't wearing one too," he said.

PHOTO: Mariah Smith, left, moved in with her older sister Shannon Kent, right, after Kent had her first child. (Shannon Kent's Family) More

"She was the only one who had an actual rapport with the Iraqis that she was dealing with," Adam said, adding, "there would be a lot of laughing, a lot of jokes."

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