TITLE: Honoring U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Austin McCall of Katy on his receipt of the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart for his bravery in Afghanistan.

SUMMARY: Honoring U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Austin McCall of Katy on his receipt of the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart for his bravery in Afghanistan.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Austin McCall of Katy has received the Bronze Star with Valor and the Purple Heart for his exceptional bravery in combat while serving in Afghanistan; and WHEREAS, A member of the elite 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Sergeant McCall was leading a squad in eastern Afghanistan on January 5, 2010, when he received intelligence that a guesthouse in a nearby compound was sheltering a group of insurgents, including a suicide bomber; and WHEREAS, Sergeant McCall was the first man to enter the compound, and in the courtyard, he confronted an insurgent who flung a grenade at him before being killed and dropping another; the second grenade exploded on impact and hit the sergeant; the other insurgents quickly opened fire, and despite being seriously wounded, Sergeant McCall returned fire, enabling his squad to enter and secure the compound, with another group of Rangers soon to follow; a helicopter was summoned and arrived 30 minutes later to take Sergeant McCall to a forward operating base for treatment; he was later airlifted to a hospital in Germany; he returned to Fort Lewis, Washington, for continued care, but at his insistence, he was back with his unit in Afghanistan within a month of the incident; and WHEREAS, In addition to earning the Bronze Star with Valor and the Purple Heart, Sergeant McCall was cited by the Department of Defense as a hero; and WHEREAS, A veteran of six deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, this exemplary Texan embodies the highest ideals of the United States armed forces, and he has earned the lasting respect and gratitude of his fellow Americans; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas Legislature hereby honor Staff Sergeant Austin McCall for his service to the nation and his courage in combat and extend to him sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Sergeant McCall as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. Callegari Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 1952 was adopted by the House on May 19, 2011, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House