Full Text of SR0627 95th General Assembly
SR0627 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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| SENATE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, It is a core mission of the National Guard to | 3 |
| provide the states with units that are trained and equipped to | 4 |
| protect life and property; and | 5 |
| WHEREAS, The Fire Department of the 183rd Fighter Wing of | 6 |
| the Illinois Air National Guard is such a unit; and | 7 |
| WHEREAS, The Department, which is based out of the Abraham | 8 |
| Lincoln Capital Airport in Springfield, Illinois, provides | 9 |
| invaluable people, equipment, and resources for meeting the | 10 |
| State's needs in responding to emergencies and natural | 11 |
| disasters; and
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| WHEREAS, In 2005, the U.S. Defense Base Closure and | 13 |
| Realignment Commission announced that the 183rd Fighter Wing | 14 |
| would lose it's F-16 aircraft; and
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| WHEREAS, The National Guard Bureau announced that, without | 16 |
| a flying mission, the firefighter positions for the 183rd would | 17 |
| be eliminated as of April 1, 2008; and
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| WHEREAS, The removal of the Fire Department at the 183rd | 19 |
| would have a substantial negative impact on the safety of the | 20 |
| flying public, on the emergency-response capabilities of |
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| Springfield and the surrounding communities, and on those | 2 |
| communities' ability to respond to natural disasters and to | 3 |
| homeland security; and
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| WHEREAS, The United States Air Force and the National Guard | 5 |
| Bureau should station the JCA (C-27J-Spartan) at the Capital | 6 |
| Airport in Springfield, which would: (i) provide the nation and | 7 |
| the State with a small cargo aircraft that is responsive for | 8 |
| flexible and tailored airlift for combat, humanitarian | 9 |
| operations, and homeland defense; (ii) enhance the State's | 10 |
| capabilities to respond to a disaster in the nation's third | 11 |
| largest city and to any incident at one of the nine nuclear | 12 |
| power plants in the State; and (iii) provide responsive airlift | 13 |
| for National Guard forces in response to domestic emergencies | 14 |
| because our nation's governors rely on this flexible mode of | 15 |
| transportation for interstate loans of National Guard troops | 16 |
| and equipment under Emergency Management Assistance Compacts; | 17 |
| therefore, be it | 18 |
| RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL | 19 |
| ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the United | 20 |
| States Congress and the National Guard Bureau to take all | 21 |
| necessary steps to ensure that the Fire Department of the 183rd | 22 |
| remains located at the Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport in | 23 |
| Springfield, Illinois for the protection and preservation of | 24 |
| the lives and property of citizens of Central Illinois; and be |
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| it further
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| RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be delivered to | 3 |
| Lieutenant General H. Steven Blum, Chief, National Guard | 4 |
| Bureau, the President pro tempore of the U.S. Senate, the | 5 |
| Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and each member | 6 |
| of the Illinois congressional delegation.
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