Regular Session 2019-2020 Senate Resolution 0159 P.N. 0959

PRINTER'S NO. 959

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SENATE RESOLUTION

No.

159

Session of

2019

INTRODUCED BY REGAN, IOVINO, ARGALL, AUMENT, BAKER, BARTOLOTTA,

BLAKE, BOSCOLA, BREWSTER, BROOKS, BROWNE, COLLETT, COSTA,

DINNIMAN, FARNESE, FOLMER, FONTANA, GORDNER, HUGHES,

HUTCHINSON, KILLION, LANGERHOLC, MARTIN, MENSCH, PHILLIPS-

HILL, SANTARSIERO, SCHWANK, TARTAGLIONE, VOGEL, J. WARD,

L. WILLIAMS AND YAW, JUNE 12, 2019

INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, JUNE 12, 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

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, Approximately 3,621 Pennsylvania National Guard

members serve in a full-time capacity; and

WHEREAS, The remaining 18,390 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

continuously serving division in the United States Army; and

WHEREAS, The 213th Regional Support Group is the Pennsylvania

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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 times 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 and the fight against the use of illegal

drugs; and

WHEREAS, Pennsylvania National Guard members serve as role

models as well as community volunteers and civic leaders

throughout this Commonwealth; and

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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 and Winter

Storms Toby, Quinn and Riley as well as three separate flooding

events; and

WHEREAS, In 2019, almost 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 citizens, soldiers

and airmen of the Pennsylvania National Guard; and

WHEREAS, We honor these men and women for their dedication

and service that 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 Senate designate June 12, 2019, as

"National Guard Day" in Pennsylvania; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Senate recognize the men and women of our

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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 Senate 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 the Adjutant General.

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