TITLE: Congratulating the Honorable Rick Noriega on his promotion to brigadier general in the Texas Army National Guard.

SUMMARY: Congratulating the Honorable Rick Noriega on his promotion to brigadier general in the Texas Army National Guard.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Former State Representative Rick Noriega has been promoted to brigadier general in the Texas Army National Guard, and this achievement represents a fitting opportunity to pay tribute to this distinguished Texan for his exemplary record of service to this state and nation; and WHEREAS, Rick Noriega enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve in 1980, in the wake of the Iran hostage crisis, and subsequently joined the National Guard; he served as an airborne school and service commander for the 143rd Infantry Detachment, as an aide to a brigadier general, and as aide-de-camp to the adjutant general of Texas; and WHEREAS, Called to active duty in 2004 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, General Noriega was deployed to Afghanistan, where he held the post of deputy garrison commander at Kabul Military Training Center; he served in Afghanistan for 14 months, until August 2005; in 2006, he was assigned as the Laredo Border Sector commander in Operation Jump Start, and in 2011, he was named commander of the guard's 71st Theater Information Operations Group; with his promotion to brigadier general in 2013, he became assistant division commander--support for the 36th Infantry Division; and WHEREAS, General Noriega's commendations include the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Senior Parachutist Badge, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, and the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; and WHEREAS, A native of Houston, General Noriega earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Houston in 1984 and went on to receive a master's degree in public administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in 1990; he also holds a certificate in advanced international affairs from the George Bush School at Texas A&M University; and WHEREAS, From 1999 to 2009, General Noriega represented House District 145 for five terms in the Texas Legislature, during which time he served as budget and oversight chair of the Defense Affairs and State-Federal Relations Committee and as vice chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government; his extensive record of public service also includes his outstanding performance as incident commander for the City of Houston's Hurricane Katrina relief efforts at the George R. Brown Convention Center, where he coordinated medical, employment, travel, housing, and food services for thousands of refugees; and WHEREAS, In civilian life, General Noriega has served as project manager for the Communities in Schools program and taught in the Houston schools and at Houston Community College; he is currently the president and CEO of AVANCE, Inc., a nonprofit offering early childhood education, parenting, and comprehensive family services to families in need; and WHEREAS, Throughout his career, Rick Noriega has enjoyed the love and support of his two sons, Alex and Ricky; and WHEREAS, Texas is fortunate to have such passionate and engaged leaders as Rick Noriega, who has answered the call to serve his state and nation in both peace and war, and he may indeed reflect with pride on his countless achievements as he continues his service in the Texas Army National Guard; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas Legislature hereby congratulate Rick Noriega on his promotion to brigadier general in the Texas Army National Guard and extend to him sincere best wishes for continued success in his important work; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for General Noriega as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. Farrar Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 3511 was adopted by the House on May 31, 2015, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House