PRINTER'S NO. 1869
No. 266 Session of 2008
INTRODUCED BY ROBBINS, BAKER, SCARNATI, MELLOW, BOSCOLA, BROWNE,
BRUBAKER, CORMAN, COSTA, DINNIMAN, EARLL, ERICKSON, FERLO,
FOLMER, FONTANA, GORDNER, GREENLEAF, KASUNIC, KITCHEN, LOGAN,
MADIGAN, MUSTO, O'PAKE, PIPPY, PUNT, RAFFERTY, REGOLA, STACK,
STOUT, TOMLINSON, WASHINGTON, WAUGH, D. WHITE, C. WILLIAMS,
WONDERLING, WOZNIAK AND PILEGGI, MARCH 28, 2008
REFERRED TO VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS,
MARCH 28, 2008
A RESOLUTION
1 Designating April 23, 2008, as "United States Army Reserve Day"
2 in Pennsylvania, in celebration of the 100th birthday of the
3 United States Army Reserve, honoring its commitment,
4 dedication and service to America, and wishing it and our
5 soldiers continued support.
6 WHEREAS, In 1908, the nation's leaders knew that the most up-
7 to-date medical experience resided in the civilian sector, which
8 created the first reservoir of trained officers in a reserve
9 status, known as the Medical Reserve Corps; and
10 WHEREAS, Today, more than 59% of the United States Army's
11 medical assets lie within the Army Reserve; and
12 WHEREAS, In 1916 the Congress of the United States passed the
13 National Defense Act, creating the Officers' Reserve Corps (ORC)
14 and the Enlisted Reserve Corps; and
15 WHEREAS, In both World Wars, reserve soldiers answered the
16 call of duty; and
17 WHEREAS, In World War I, 89,500 reserve officers were
1 mobilized, and during World War II, 200,000 members of the ORC
2 participated, in which reserve officers provided 29% of the
3 Army's officers; and
4 WHEREAS, In 1952, legislation renamed the ORC as the Army
5 Reserve and then divided it into three reserves, an individual
6 Ready Reserve, a Standby Reserve and a Retired Reserve; and
7 WHEREAS, Legislation also provided that reserve units have 24
8 training days and up to 17 days of annual training; and
9 WHEREAS, The Army Reserve has been an integral part of
10 numerous conflicts, with more than 70 Army Reserve units
11 deployed to the Korean Peninsula, more than 84,000 soldiers
12 providing combat support during Operations Desert Shield and
13 Desert Storm, and others providing support in Somalia, Haiti,
14 Bosnia, Kosovo, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Noble
15 Eagle and Operation Iraqi Freedom; and
16 WHEREAS, The role of the Army Reserve has changed over time,
17 and has moved from a strategic reserve to an operational force;
18 and
19 WHEREAS, The Army Reserve also provides resources and
20 training to first-responder organizations across the nation,
21 trains soldiers, implements national objectives, keeps the Army
22 mobile and enables the Army to do more with fewer resources; and
23 WHEREAS, The Army Reserve makes up 20% of the Army's
24 organized units, but provides one-half of the Army's combat
25 support and one-fourth of its mobilization base expansion
26 capabilities; therefore be it
27 RESOLVED, That the Senate designate April 23, 2008, as
28 "United States Army Reserve Day" in Pennsylvania, in celebration
29 of the 100th birthday of the United States Army Reserve, honor
30 its service to America and wish it and our soldiers another
20080S0266R1869 - 2 -
1 century of continued support.
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