TITLE: Urging the United States Congress to fully support operations and joint force structure at Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base.

SUMMARY: Urging the United States Congress to fully support operations and joint force structure at Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Ellington Field plays an important role in the Houston-area economy while contributing to the defense of our nation; and WHEREAS, Ellington Field was constructed in 1917 and served as a training base for military air personnel during World War I and World War II and as a navigator training school in the 1950s; NASA became a tenant there in 1962, and in 1984, Ellington Field was taken over by the City of Houston; today, it continues to provide support for military reserve and guard units even as it serves as a base for a variety of commercial operations; and WHEREAS, Featuring commands from all five Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security military services, Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base has grown to include more than 6,000 active, reserve, and guard members; it is home to the 147th Reconnaissance Wing, which is at the forefront of the trend toward unmanned aircraft that is transforming the Air Force and Air Guard; and WHEREAS, The region served by the Ellington Field JRB is vital to national security and the only one in the country containing all 17 national asset categories identified by the Department of Homeland Security as prime potential targets for global terrorism; a $100 million expansion now in progress is vastly increasing the defense capabilities of the base and will have an enormous economic impact on surrounding communities, with estimates ranging to nearly $700 million; and WHEREAS, Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base provides a strong stimulus to the Houston-area economy and is poised to take on an ever-greater role in the defense of the Lone Star State, the Gulf Coast region, and the nation; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas Legislature hereby respectfully urge the Congress of the United States to fully support the vital operations and joint force structure at Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base; and, be it further RESOLVED, That the chief clerk forward official copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States Congress, to the secretary of defense, to the secretary of homeland security, to the secretary of veterans affairs, and to all the members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a memorial to the Congress of the United States of America. Legler Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 784 was adopted by the House on April 26, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 148, Nays 0, 2 present, not voting. Chief Clerk of the House