PRINTER'S NO. 1840
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
347
Session of
2019
INTRODUCED BY MAKO, HAHN, DiGIROLAMO, MILLARD, PICKETT,
HENNESSEY, SOLOMON, OBERLANDER, BURNS, BIZZARRO, BARRAR,
DONATUCCI, POLINCHOCK, KORTZ, BERNSTINE, RYAN, O'NEAL,
PASHINSKI, COX, MALONEY, HILL-EVANS, CALTAGIRONE, ROZZI,
WILLIAMS, HICKERNELL, SONNEY, EMRICK, MATZIE, JAMES,
YOUNGBLOOD, SCHLOSSBERG, BROWN, LONGIETTI, McNEILL, SCHMITT,
BOBACK, TOEPEL, GOODMAN, KULIK AND SCHLEGEL CULVER,
MAY 15, 2019
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
MAY 15, 2019
A RESOLUTION
Designating June 12, 2019, as "National Guard Day" in
Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, In 1747, Benjamin Franklin organized the Associators
of Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, Units of today's Pennsylvania National Guard trace
their lineage to the first Associators; and
WHEREAS, In 1755, the General Assembly of the Province of
Pennsylvania received a great number of petitions from the
several counties of the province "setting forth, That the
Petitioners were very willing to defend themselves and their
Country, and desirous of being formed into regular Bodies for
that Purpose, instructed and disciplined under proper Officers,
with suitable and legal Authority"; and
WHEREAS, Responding to these petitions, the representatives
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of the Province of Pennsylvania, meeting in General Assembly,
passed this Commonwealth's first militia law on November 25,
1755; and
WHEREAS, The Militia Act, passed "for the better Ordering and
Regulating such as are willing and desirous to be united for
Military Purposes within this Province" created the volunteer
militia and laid the legal foundation for the militia and the
Pennsylvania National Guard; and
WHEREAS, Enactment of the act of November 25, 1755, marked
the beginning of 264 years of cooperation and support from the
General Assembly for the Pennsylvania militia, the Pennsylvania
National Guard and the soldiers and airmen who proudly serve
this Commonwealth and this nation; and
WHEREAS, In war and in peace, Pennsylvania National Guard
soldiers and airmen have served at home and abroad and have
responded to floods, blizzards and other emergencies at home;
and
WHEREAS, Pennsylvania's National Guard force reaches from the
Joint Force Headquarters located at Fort Indiantown Gap, Lebanon
County, to nearly 90 communities across this Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania National Guard is one of the top 10
employers in this Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, More than 3,600 Pennsylvania National Guard members
serve in a full-time capacity; and
WHEREAS, Close to 15,000 of the remaining Pennsylvania
National Guard members serve as traditional part-time members
who train while pursuing civilian education or careers; and
WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania National Guard is one of the
largest National Guard forces in the nation; and
WHEREAS, The 28th Infantry Division is the oldest
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continuously serving division in the United States Army; and
WHEREAS, The 213th Regional Support Group is the Pennsylvania
National Guard's second major army unit that handles combat
support missions, including transportation, finance and
personnel services; and
WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Air National Guard is comprised of
the 111th Attack Wing for air support and MQ-9 Reaper ground
control, the 171st Air Refueling Wing for worldwide aerial
refueling and the 193rd Special Operations Wing for specialized
aerial broadcasting missions; and
WHEREAS, For the first time, all three Pennsylvania National
Guard wings have received Outstanding Unit Awards during the
same awards cycle; and
WHEREAS, In time of war, national or state emergency, or in
support of any military operation worldwide, the President of
the United States may mobilize units of the National Guard into
active Federal service; and
WHEREAS, The active Federal service of the Pennsylvania
National Guard has included engagement in every conflict this
nation has faced, from the Revolutionary War through Operation
Enduring Freedom, and in peacekeeping missions around the globe;
and
WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania National Guard in peacetime offers
broad support to the civilian community through the Pennsylvania
Counterdrug Joint Task Force (CJTF); and
WHEREAS, CJTF has provided trained personnel and specialized
equipment to assist State and local law enforcement agencies in
disposing of drugs in the fight against the use of illegal
drugs; and
WHEREAS, Pennsylvania National Guard members serve as role
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models as well as community volunteers and civic leaders
throughout this Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania National Guard's outstanding
performance was on display in 2018 when more than 1,479 soldiers
and airmen provided support for Hurricane Florence, Winter
Storms Toby, Quinn and Riley, as well as three separate flooding
events; and
WHEREAS, In 2019, nearly 600 Pennsylvania National Guard
members responded to Winter Storm Harper; and
WHEREAS, Currently, the Pennsylvania National Guard has
deployed more than 1,039 members to Afghanistan, Poland and the
Middle East with additional deployments anticipated; and
WHEREAS, After more than a decade of sustained high-tempo
combat operations, the Pennsylvania National Guard continues to
fight overseas and support regional domestic missions; and
WHEREAS, With approximately 40,593 individual deployments
since September 11, 2001, the Pennsylvania National Guard is one
of the busiest and most heavily deployed National Guards in the
United States; and
WHEREAS, This year's theme, "Guardsmen and Their Families -
Serving Pennsylvania," pays tribute to our residents, soldiers
and airmen of the Pennsylvania National Guard; and
WHEREAS, We honor these men and women for their dedication
and service which has led to the distinction of Pennsylvania
having one of the most successful National Guards across our
great country; and
WHEREAS, The continued support of the General Assembly
remains critical to the success of the Pennsylvania National
Guard; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate June
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12, 2019, as "National Guard Day" in Pennsylvania; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the men
and women of our armed forces for their dedicated service to
this Commonwealth and this nation and commend them for the
outstanding performance of their duties around the world, in the
Global War on Terror and in response to natural disasters; and
be it further
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives give thanks for
the Pennsylvania National Guard and the service of generations
of soldiers and airmen from across Pennsylvania from our days as
a proprietary colony to the great Commonwealth we are today; and
be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to
the Governor and to the Adjutant General.
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