IV 111th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 1304 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 27, 2010 Mr. Marshall (for himself, Mr. Lewis of Georgia, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, Mr. Kingston, Mr. Linder, Mr. Scott of Georgia, Mr. Gingrey of Georgia, Mr. Barrow, Mr. Price of Georgia, Mr. Westmoreland, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, and Mr. Broun of Georgia) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services RESOLUTION Honoring the members of the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the State of Georgia’s Army National Guard for their service and sacrifice on behalf of the United States from 2009 to 2010.

Whereas the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team was alerted for mobilization and deployment as Task Force Phoenix IX on November 14, 2007; Whereas during the next 18 months, the unit completed intensive training, manning, and equipping reset in order to prepare for and adapt to the ever-changing Afghanistan mission; Whereas the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team deployed over 3,000 members of the Army National Guard from the State of Georgia to Afghanistan to conduct combat operations in 2009 as part of Combined Joint Task Force 82 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom; Whereas the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team ultimately deployed at over 118 percent strength, the highest of any Army National Guard unit to date; Whereas the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team trained and mentored over 50,000 Afghan National Security Forces as their primary mission, conducting 11,315 combat missions while embedded with either the Afghan National Army or Afghan National Police; Whereas the 1st Squadron, 108th Cavalry Regiment conducted combined action as part of Task Force Mountain Warrior in the Nangarhar province, living and conducting operations with the Afghan Border Police and Afghan National Police from Jalalabad City to Torkum Gate at the mouth of the Kyber Pass in Pakistan, producing the first-ever comprehensive Shinwar Tribal Leadership agreement, which over 170 tribal leaders signed, to combat the Taliban and support the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan; Whereas the 1st Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment conducted combined action under Task Force Yukon with responsibility for all Afghan National Security Force development in Paktya province, living and conducting operations with the Afghan National Army, Police, and Border Police and setting up the first United States presence in that region; Whereas Task Force 1–121 also had a company working directly for the Polish Battle Group, Task Force White Eagle, conducting combined action in Ghazni province with a second company working in Paktika province conducting combined operations with the Afghan National Army; Whereas the 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment conducted combined action as the United States battle space owners under Regional Command North and the German Task Force with responsibility for all Afghan National Security Force Development in nine northern Afghan provinces, living and conducting operations with the Afghan National Police and Border Police, establishing and mentoring nine Operational Coordination Cells for the Afghan National Security Force, resulting in increased synchronization and improved responsiveness of all Afghan National Security Forces in Regional Command North; Whereas the 1st Battalion, 118th Artillery Regiment assumed responsibility for Kabul province, with one firing battery and an attached company of infantry, and were fully incorporated into mentoring operations for the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police, through which all districts in Kabul province were actively partnered with a United States training team, including 31 individual police departments, 4 zone headquarters, and the Kabul City Police Command, totaling over 11,000 assigned personnel; Whereas the 148th Brigade Support Battalion Logistics Task Force provided theater-wide support for all classes of supply for over 10,000 assigned and attached members of the United States Armed Forces, conducting over 728 Combat Logistics Missions, driving over 304,596 miles, moving over 21,510 passengers, delivering 1,937 pallets, completing 4 helicopter-borne, ammunition sling-load missions in support of combat troops, conducting several emergency resupply missions, completing 3,710 maintenance jobs, and conducting 42 combat recovery missions, while its Medical Company ran a level II facility at Camp Phoenix and supported 11 other facilities throughout Afghanistan; Whereas the 48th Brigade Special Troops Battalion provided a Garrison Commander to Camp Phoenix, improving all activities and support provided by the command, enhancing base defense, implementing a comprehensive base defense plan, and instituting monthly force protection meetings and exercises, and was responsible for all engineer military construction programs through which it developed a facilities improvement program that organized the installation footprint and dramatically reduced installation clutter, improved drainage, created intelligent parking schemes, and enhanced preventive maintenance; Whereas 8 members of Georgia’s Army National Guard, and their families, made the ultimate sacrifice to train the Afghan National Security Forces, which furthers the cause of freedom and brings greater security to rest of the world; and Whereas several dozen other members of the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team were injured in this same effort: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives— (1)expresses its gratitude to the members of the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the State of Georgia’s Army National Guard and their families for their service and sacrifice on behalf of the United States from 2009 to 2010; and (2)recognizes the members of the Georgia National Guard as invaluable to the national security of the United States, vital to defending against threats both foreign and domestic, and essential for responding to State and national emergencies.