[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 75 (Monday, June 10, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S5288]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 120--COMMENDING THE PENNSYLVANIA NATIONAL 
GUARD FOR ITS EXEMPLARY SERVICE TO THE UNITED STATES IN THE WAR AGAINST 
                  TERRORISM AND OTHER RECENT DOCUMENTS

  Mr. SPECTER (for himself and Mr. Santorum) submitted the following 
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Armed 
Services:

                            S. Con. Res. 120

       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 5 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 Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That 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.

                          ____________________