IV

107TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 414

Commending the Pennsylvania National Guard for its exemplary service to

the United States in the war against terrorism and other recent deployments.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JUNE 6, 2002

Mr. GEKAS submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred

to the Committee on Armed Services

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Commending the Pennsylvania National Guard for its exemplary service to the United States in the war against

terrorism and other recent deployments.

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
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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 five 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;
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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, Bel-
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gium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Italy: Now,

therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That the Congress commends the soldiers and

3 airman of the Pennsylvania National Guard, under the

4 command of the Pennsylvania Adjutant General, Major

5 General William B. Lynch, and Deputy Adjutant Gen6 erals, Major General James Skiff and Brigadier General

7 Jessica Wright, for their exemplary service to the United

8 States in the war against terrorism and other recent de9 ployments.

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