HR1543 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1543 LRB094 22047 KXB 60616 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The National Guard, the oldest component of the Armed Forces of the United States and one of the nation's longest-enduring institutions, will celebrate its 370th birthday on December 13, 2006; and

WHEREAS, The National Guard traces its history back to the earliest English colonies in North America; responsible for their own defense, the colonists drew on English military tradition and organized their male citizens into militias; and

WHEREAS, Following the winning of our independence against Great Britain, the authors of the Constitution empowered Congress to "provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the militia"; and

WHEREAS, The militia provided the bulk of the troops during the Mexican War, the early months of the Civil War, and the Spanish-American War; and

WHEREAS, In 1903, important national defense legislation increased the role of the National Guard (as the militia was now called) as a reserve force for the U.S. Army; in World War I, the National Guard made up 40% of the U.S. combat divisions in France; in World War II, National Guard units were among the first to deploy overseas and the first to fight; and

WHEREAS, Following World War II, National Guard aviation units, some of them dating back to World War I, became the Air National Guard, the nation's newest reserve component; the Guard stood on the frontiers of freedom during the Cold War, sending soldiers and airmen to fight in the Korean War and to reinforce NATO during the Berlin crisis of 1961-1962; during the Vietnam War, almost 23,000 Army and Air Guardsmen were called up for a year of active duty; some 8,700 were deployed to Vietnam; and

WHEREAS, Over 75,000 Army and Air Guardsmen were called upon to help bring a swift end to Desert Storm in 1991; since that time, the National Guard has seen the nature of its federal mission change, with more frequent call ups in response to crises in Haiti, Bosnia, Kosovo, and the skies over Iraq; following the attacks of September 11, 2001, more than 50,000 Guardmembers were called up by both their states and the federal government to provide security at home and combat terrorism abroad; and

WHEREAS, In the largest and swiftest response to a domestic disaster in history, the Guard deployed more than 50,000 troops into the Gulf Region following Hurricane Katrina in 2005; and

WHEREAS, Today, tens of thousands of Guardmembers are serving in harm's way in Iraq and Afghanistan, as the National Guard continues its historic dual mission, providing to the states units trained and equipped to protect life and property, while providing to the nation units trained, equipped, and ready to defend the United States and its interests, all over the globe; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we thank the men and women of the National Guard for doing their duty, protecting our way of life, and ensuring our freedom; and we congratulate them on the 370th anniversary of the National Guard; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Major General Randal E. Thomas, Adjutant General of the State of Illinois National Guard.