III 111th CONGRESS 2d Session S. RES. 395 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES January 22, 2010 Mr. Udall of Colorado (for himself and Mr. Bennet) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services January 25, 2010 Committee discharged; considered and agreed to RESOLUTION Commemorating the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Colorado National Guard.

Whereas, on January 23, 1860, the history of the Colorado National Guard began when the first General Assembly of the Jefferson Territory authorized the formation of 2 independent militia companies, the Jefferson Rangers and the Denver Guards, both of which were disbanded after the Colorado Volunteers were established as the official Colorado Territorial Militia; Whereas after Colorado became a State in 1876, the Colorado State Militia was activated on dozens of occasions to protect public rights, safety, and property; Whereas during World War I, nearly all units of the Colorado National Guard were called into service, serving as replacements on the front lines as well as carrying out crucial artillery support roles in most of the major campaigns near the end of the war; Whereas during World War II, Colorado National Guard units served in both the European and Pacific theaters, providing crucial indirect fire support throughout the Pacific, significantly contributing to the invasion of Italy and southern France, and partaking in the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp in April 1945; Whereas a year prior to the establishment of the United States Air Force in September 1947, the 120th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (Fighter) was federally recognized and redesignated as the 120th Fighter Squadron (Single-Engine), thus becoming the first federally recognized unit of the Air National Guard; Whereas the Colorado National Guard was called into Federal service in 1950 during the Korean War and in 1961 during the Berlin Crisis; Whereas in 1968, the 120th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the Colorado Air National Guard became one of the first Air National Guard units to be mobilized and the first of 4 fighter units to be deployed for combat operations in the Vietnam War; Whereas in 1990 and 1991, the Colorado National Guard was called into Federal service to support Operation Desert Shield/Storm in the Persian Gulf and enforce the United Nations-mandated no-fly zone over Iraq during Operations Northern and Southern Watch; Whereas the Colorado National Guard was called into Federal service in 1994 to help provide stability in Haiti and in 1999 as part of Operation Joint Forge in the Balkans; Whereas in recent years, the Colorado National Guard has supported various anti-drug and search-and-rescue missions and assisted the citizens of Colorado during numerous natural disasters and State emergencies; Whereas hours after the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, the Colorado National Guard was activated to bolster airport security at 14 major airports across the State and the Pueblo Chemical Depot, with Colorado Guardsmen, as part of Operation Noble Eagle, launching the first defensive aircraft over the city of Denver within minutes of the terrorist attacks and initiating the Air Sovereignty Alert mission, which continues today with airmen and aircraft on alert 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to protect our Nation from aerial threats; Whereas since September 11, 2001, more than 6,500 Colorado National Guard members have served in Iraq and Afghanistan in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, with more than 550 Colorado National Guard members currently deployed in support of both missions and another 160 members preparing for mobilization; Whereas the 3rd Battalion of the 157th Field Artillery Regiment, which traces its lineage back to the Civil War, is currently deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and is the largest Colorado Army National Guard unit to deploy since World War II; Whereas in 1985, the Colorado National Guard established the High-Altitude Army Aviation Training Site (HAATS) to instruct rotary wing aviators on how to better operate in hostile, high-altitude, and power-limited environments; Whereas HAATS is the only United States military school teaching such specialized techniques and has provided critical training to helicopter aviators in Iraq and Afghanistan; Whereas in 1993, the Colorado National Guard was among the first to form a partnership under the auspices of the State Partnership Program with the Republic of Slovenia, and in 2002, formed a second partnership with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan; Whereas the more than 3,700 citizen soldiers of the Colorado Army National Guard are based in 20 communities across Colorado, and the more than 1,500 citizen airmen of the Colorado Air National Guard are based at Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora, Colorado, as well as in Greeley and Colorado Springs, Colorado; Whereas the citizen soldiers and airmen of the Colorado National Guard have served with courage and selflessness and have earned the respect and gratitude of Coloradans and all Americans; and Whereas the Colorado National Guard continues to build on its heritage as a ready, reliable, and relevant community-based force that is always ready and always there, whether to protect our homeland against attacks, to support civil authorities, or to defend freedom overseas: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate— (1)recognizes the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Colorado National Guard and its exemplary service to the State of Colorado and the Nation; (2)thanks the members of the Colorado National Guard and their families for their service and their sacrifice on behalf of the State of Colorado and the Nation; (3)pledges its continued support in providing the Colorado National Guard with the resources necessary to ensure its readiness to perform State and Federal missions; (4)expresses condolences to the families of those members of the Colorado National Guard who made the ultimate sacrifice and gave their lives while serving in the Colorado National Guard; and (5)honors the dedication of the members of the Colorado National Guard who play a central role in protecting the United States and the freedoms and liberties of its citizens.