HR0845 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0845 LRB102 27378 ECR 39167 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate the United States Army Reserve on the occasion of its 114th birthday; and

WHEREAS, On April 23rd, America's Army Reserve will celebrate the generations of soldiers who, like many patriots before them, embraced their roles as citizen soldiers by continuing the proud and distinguished legacy of service in the Army Reserve; and

WHEREAS, The U.S. Army Reserve is the U.S. Army's sole dedicated Federal Reserve force, providing operational capability and strategic depth to the total Army and the Joint Force in support of U.S. national security interests and Army commitments worldwide; and

WHEREAS, Through the interwar years, World War II, the Cold War, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf War, the Global War on Terror, and countless other crises, operations, emergencies, and natural disasters, warrior citizens of the Army Reserve have never failed to answer the nation's call; and

WHEREAS, On April 23, 1908, Congress created the Medical Reserve Corps, which was a group of 160 doctors formed to provide the nation with a reservoir of trained medical professionals for employment in times of national emergency; and

WHEREAS, A month after Congress established the Medical Reserve Corps, President Theodore Roosevelt, one of the Army Reserve's greatest citizen soldiers, signed the bill into law; later, under the National Defense Act of 1916, Congress created the Officers' Reserve Corps and the Enlisted Reserve Corps; and

WHEREAS, On June 24, 1921, the 76th through the 101st Divisions were reconstituted or constituted in the Organized Reserve; and

WHEREAS, Operating as an Army component and force-providing command, the Army Reserve has a congressionally authorized strength of 199,000 soldiers, more than 11,000 civilians, and 2,075 units; the Army Reserve resides and operates in every state, five U.S. territories, and 30 countries; and

WHEREAS, Throughout history, citizen soldiers have leveraged professional skills while serving in uniform; they have added substantial value and depth to the force with skills, education, and expertise acquired in the private sector; and

WHEREAS, The U.S. Army Reserve has always been, and will continue to be, comprised of men and women with great talents; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the United States Army Reserve on the occasion of its 114th birthday in service to the United States Army and this nation; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the U.S. Army Reserve as a symbol of our esteem and respect.