[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 32 (Wednesday, February 25, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S1122]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 86--RECOGNIZING MARCH 3, 2015, AS THE CENTENNIAL OF 
                            THE NAVY RESERVE

  Ms. COLLINS (for herself, Mr. Warner, Mr. McCain, Mr. Murphy, Mr. 
Kirk, Mr. King, and Mr. Peters) submitted the following resolution; 
which was considered and agreed to:

                               S. Res. 86

       Whereas the roots of patriotic Americans serving in 
     maritime service trace back to even before the existence of 
     the Continental Navy, when residents from seaside towns 
     engaged in combat with British warships in defense of their 
     homes;
       Whereas the tradition of maritime service to the country 
     continued through the robust United States merchant marine, 
     and later the formation of State naval militias in the late 
     19th century to meet the need for additional naval support;
       Whereas during the Spanish-American War, the Navy augmented 
     its force with 4,000 sailors from the State naval militias;
       Whereas the emergence of the United States as a world power 
     in the early 20th century required a more robust and multi-
     layered naval force;
       Whereas the Act of March 3, 1915 (38 Stat. 928, chapter 
     83), established the Naval Reserve, which became the ``Navy 
     Reserve'' in 2006;
       Whereas by the end of World War I, there were 290,0000 
     members of the Naval Reserve, more than half of the total 
     manpower of the Navy, who fought valiantly during the war;
       Whereas 84 percent of the sailors serving in World War II 
     were members of the Naval Reserve, a group that included 
     100,000 women;
       Whereas the more than 2,600,000 enlisted personnel and 
     269,000 officers in the Naval Reserve in 1945 served in every 
     theater of World War II and on every type of vessel and 
     aircraft;
       Whereas 5 Presidents, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, 
     Richard M. Nixon, Gerald R. Ford, and George H. W. Bush, 
     served honorably in the Naval Reserve;
       Whereas in United States conflicts and national 
     emergencies, including the Berlin Crisis, the Korean War, the 
     Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War, Operation Desert 
     Storm, and hurricanes and other natural disasters, the Navy 
     Reserve has responded to calls promptly and effectively;
       Whereas following the attack on the Navy destroyer, USS 
     Cole, on October 12, 2000, the Naval Reserve immediately 
     responded with coastal warfare security;
       Whereas since the attacks on our homeland of September 11, 
     2001, the Navy Reserve has mobilized more than 72,000 members 
     of the Navy Reserve worldwide to counter threats to national 
     security;
       Whereas the Navy benefits from the military experience, 
     civilian skills, and diverse backgrounds of the members of 
     the Navy Reserve;
       Whereas as the Senate recognizes the distinguished service 
     of the members of the Navy Reserve, who are proud individuals 
     of the United States, there are more than 2,000 members of 
     the Navy Reserve deployed around the world; and
       Whereas March 3, 2015, marks 100 years since the Act of 
     March 3, 1915 (38 Stat. 928, chapter 83), establishing the 
     Naval Reserve: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes March 3, 2015, as the centennial of the Navy 
     Reserve;
       (2) recognizes the indispensable and valuable contributions 
     and sacrifices that individual members of the Navy Reserve 
     have made throughout the history of the United States and 
     continue to make in 2015;
       (3) celebrates the commitment and service of members of the 
     Navy Reserve, their families, and their employers; and
       (4) encourages communities to seize the opportunity to 
     honor and support these patriots in 2015, the centennial of 
     the Navy Reserve.

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