THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

INTRODUCED BY BARRAR, SAINATO, GABLER, MICCARELLI, ADOLPH, AUMENT, BAKER, BOBACK, BOYD, BRENNAN, BURNS, CAUSER, CLYMER, D. COSTA, COX, DAVIS, DiGIROLAMO, DONATUCCI, EMRICK, EVERETT, FABRIZIO, FLECK, FREEMAN, GEIST, GEORGE, GINGRICH, GODSHALL, HAHN, HARHAI, HESS, HORNAMAN, HUTCHINSON, KAUFFMAN, KAVULICH, KILLION, KORTZ, KOTIK, KULA, LONGIETTI, MAJOR, MARSHALL, MARSICO, MILLARD, MILLER, MILNE, MOUL, MUNDY, O'NEILL, PAYNE, PERRY, PETRARCA, RAPP, READSHAW, ROAE, ROCK, ROSS, SANTONI, SAYLOR, SCAVELLO, SONNEY, STERN, STEVENSON, SWANGER, TALLMAN, TOBASH, VEREB, VULAKOVICH, WATSON AND GILLEN, APRIL 30, 2012

INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, APRIL 30, 2012  

A RESOLUTION

Designating May 1, 2012, as "National Guard Day" in

Pennsylvania.

WHEREAS, In 1747, Benjamin Franklin organized the

"Associators" in 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

of the Province of Pennsylvania, meeting in General Assembly,

passed this Commonwealth's first militia law on November 25,

1755; and

WHEREAS, The militia law, 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 more than 250 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, For more than 250 years, in war and in peace,

Pennsylvania National Guard soldiers and airmen have served at

home and abroad, serving in every war and responding 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 some 90 communities across this Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, Today, the Pennsylvania National Guard is one of the

top ten employers in this Commonwealth with approximately 3,000

of its members serving in a full-time capacity, with the

remaining 16,000 members serving as "traditional" guard members

who train on a part-time basis while pursuing civilian

educations or careers; and

WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania National Guard is one of the

largest National Guard forces in the nation with its army

component being the largest and air component the fourth largest

in the country; and

WHEREAS, The 28th Infantry Division is the oldest,

continuous-serving division in the United States Army; and

WHEREAS, Pennsylvania was selected as the only National Guard

force in the country to field a Stryker Brigade Combat Team

(SBCT), which is one of only seven Stryker brigades in the

United States; 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 made up of

the 111th Fighter Wing for air support missions; the 171st Air

Refueling Wing for worldwide aerial refueling capabilities; and

the 193rd Special Operations Wing for providing the only aerial

broadcasting capability in the world; and

WHEREAS, In time of war, national or State emergency, or in

support of any military operation worldwide, the President may

mobilize units of the National Guard into active Federal

service; and

WHEREAS, The active Federal service of the Pennsylvania

National Guard has included service in every conflict America

has faced, from the Revolutionary War through Iraqi Freedom, as

well as peacekeeping missions around the globe; and

WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania National Guard, in peacetime,

offers broad support to the civilian community through the

Counterdrug Task Force, which provides trained personnel and

specialized equipment to assist State and local law enforcement

agencies in the fight against illegal drugs; and

WHEREAS, Pennsylvania National Guard members serve as role

models, as well as community volunteers and civic leaders,

throughout this Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, It is the intent of the House of Representatives to

recognize the men and women of our armed forces for their

dedicated service to this Commonwealth and this nation and

commend them especially for the outstanding performance of their

duties around the world and in the Global War On Terror and in

response to natural disasters; and

WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania National Guard's outstanding

performance was on display in 2011 when more than 3,000 soldiers

and airmen responded to the call of duty to assist in recovery

efforts and rescue missions when called up for duty under three

separate disaster emergencies; and

WHEREAS, The continued support of the General Assembly has

been and is critical to the success of the Pennsylvania National

Guard; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize and

designate May 1, 2012, as "National Guard Day" in Pennsylvania;

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 royal 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 of Pennsylvania.