HR1142 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1142 LRB094 20149 HSS 57924 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Sergeant Brian Duffy, a native son of Illinois and resident of Evergreen Park, enlisted in the United States Army in 2003; and

WHEREAS, Sergeant Duffy attended basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and upon completion, was accepted into the Army's Chemical Warfare School; and

WHEREAS, Sergeant Duffy volunteered for the Army's elite 82nd Airborne Division; the 82nd can trace its inception to WWI and also distinguished itself in combat during WWII, participating in such crucial battles as the Normandy invasion, and the largest air drop of WWII Operation Market Garden; due to their intrepidity in battle, the German Army called them the "Devils in Baggy Pants"; and

WHEREAS, The 82nd Airborne Division is the U.S. Army's only Airborne Division, can and has been deployed to trouble spots around the globe, most currently conducting combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq; and

WHEREAS, Sergeant Duffy and the 1st Brigade of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, serving for over 10 months at Forward Operating Base Salerno on the southeastern border between Afghanistan and Pakistan; and

WHEREAS, Sergeant Duffy and his cohorts participated in "Operation Neptune", guarding polling places and ensuring secure elections throughout Afghanistan; they were also called upon to serve as the personal security guards for the visiting American Ambassador to Afghanistan; other duties included providing security for the many military convoys moving through the treacherous mountain passes of the Hindu Kush, often coming under enemy fire; the 82nd also operated a regional interrogation center for captured suspected Taliban and Al Qaeda prisoners; the facility was formally commended by the Commanding General in Afghanistan as the best run facility in Southwest Asia; and

WHEREAS, Sergeant Duffy has been awarded the Army Commendation Medal and the Combat Action Badge along with other commendations and Campaign Medals; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we welcome Sergeant Duffy home to the State of Illinois, and we thank him for his honorable military service in Afghanistan; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Sergeant Duffy as an expression of our gratitude.