SR0813 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0813 LRB104 22020 LAW 38072 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, On October 13, 1775, the United States Navy was founded when the Continental Congress agreed to supply General George Washington with an armed schooner and a sloop; and

WHEREAS, The U.S. Navy has been used successfully in the American Revolution, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom; and

WHEREAS, The U.S. Navy plays a critical role in the defense of the United States and in preserving the lives and liberties of its citizens, which it does through the placement of installations such as the Illinois-based Naval Station Great Lakes (NAVSTA Great Lakes); and

WHEREAS, Opened in 1911, NAVSTA Great Lakes is the U.S. Navy's largest training installation and the home of the U.S. Navy's only boot camp, and its mission is to enable and sustain the fleet, family, and fighter by providing superior, integrated Base Operating Support for all tenant commands and elements on the installation; and

WHEREAS, NAVSTA Great Lakes is located on over 1,600 acres overlooking Lake Michigan, and the installation includes 1,153 buildings with 39 on the National Register of Historic Places and supports more than 50 tenant commands and elements as well as more than 20,000 Sailors, Marines, Soldiers, and U.S. Department of War civilians who live and work on the installation; and

WHEREAS, It is fitting to recognize the work and history of NAVSTA Great Lakes in conjunction with celebrating the 250th anniversaries of both the United States Navy and the Declaration of Independence; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare October 28, 2026 as Naval Station Great Lakes Day in the State of Illinois in recognition of the work and history of Naval Station Great Lakes (NAVSTA Great Lakes).