[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 414 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 414

Commending the Pennsylvania National Guard for its exemplary service to 
    the United States in the war against terrorism and other recent 
                              deployments.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 6, 2002

  Mr. Gekas submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
              referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Commending the Pennsylvania National Guard for its exemplary service to 
    the United States in the war against terrorism and other recent 
                              deployments.

Whereas the Pennsylvania National Guard, the largest Army National Guard in the 
        United States and fourth largest Air National Guard in the United 
        States, has experienced call up and deployment rates at levels unseen 
        since the Korean War and has provided historic levels of volunteers to 
        critical missions of national importance;
Whereas the Pennsylvania National Guard has recently performed laudably in 
        various overseas deployments to central Asia, Europe, Latin America, and 
        other locations;
Whereas individuals and units of the Pennsylvania National Guard have been 
        deployed within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on a variety of 
        missions since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, with 210 
        soldiers serving in security roles at 16 different Pennsylvania 
        airports, and many other soldiers serving under State active duty status 
        at all five of Pennsylvania's nuclear power plants;
Whereas individuals and units of the Pennsylvania National Guard have been 
        deployed outside of Pennsylvania to serve along the northern border of 
        the United States, in rescue and support operations immediately after 
        the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and with NORAD air 
        controller components in New York providing critical assistance to 
        combat air patrols over the United States in Operation Noble Eagle/
        Enduring Freedom;
Whereas the 193rd Special Operations Wing, under the command of Brigadier 
        General Steve Speer, which is the most deployed active or reserve Air 
        Force or Air National Guard unit in the United States, deployed to 
        central Asia in September 2001 to provide one-of-a-kind psychological 
        warfare resources to Allied commanders in Operation Noble Eagle/Enduring 
        Freedom, with 900 members of that unit serving the cause of freedom and 
        liberty valiantly;
Whereas the 111th Fighter Wing, under the command of Colonel Stephen Sischo, has 
        participated extensively in Operation Noble Eagle/Enduring Freedom, 
        while also serving in Operation Southern Watch, flying 682 hours during 
        318 sorties enforcing the no-fly zone over Iraq;
Whereas the 171st Air Refueling Wing, under the command of Brigadier General 
        William Boardly, has flown 242 sorties in support of Operation Noble 
        Eagle/Enduring Freedom;
Whereas the 140th Weather Flight, 270th Engineering Installation Squadron, the 
        146th Weather Flight, the 112th Air Control Squadron, the 201st RED 
        HORSE Flight, the 211th Engineering Installation Squadron, the 258th Air 
        Traffic Control Squadron, and the 271st Combat Communications Squadron 
        have also participated in Operation Noble Eagle/Enduring Freedom;
Whereas the 28th Infantry Division of the Pennsylvania Army Guard, under the 
        command of Major General Walt Pudlowski, has provided units and soldiers 
        recently to operations in central Europe as part of KFOR and SFOR 
        Balkans stabilization efforts and central Asia in the war on terrorism;
Whereas soldiers and units of the 28th Infantry Division, under the direction of 
        Brigadier General Wesley Craig, have begun preparing for future tasks as 
        one of the first active or Guard units to transform into an Interim 
        Brigade Combat Team, part of the Army's future objective force;
Whereas elements of the 28th Infantry Division, under the command of Brigadier 
        General John von Trott, will become the lead, headquarters element of 
        SFOR based at Eagle Base Tuzla, Bosnia, with approximately 1,100 
        soldiers of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard deploying as 
        peacekeepers for six months; and
Whereas approximately 2,000 soldiers of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, 
        including soldiers from the 55th Brigade, the 1-213 ADA, the 876 EN, and 
        numerous additional units from across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 
        will soon deploy as primary components of Task Force Keystone, providing 
        enhanced security for United States forces based at NATO facilities in 
        Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Italy: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That the Congress commends the soldiers and airman of the Pennsylvania 
National Guard, under the command of the Pennsylvania Adjutant General, 
Major General William B. Lynch, and Deputy Adjutant Generals, Major 
General James Skiff and Brigadier General Jessica Wright, for their 
exemplary service to the United States in the war against terrorism and 
other recent deployments.
                                 <all>