III 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 395 

Commemorating the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Colorado 

National Guard. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 22, 2010 

Mr. UDALL of Colorado (for himself and Mr. BENNET) submitted the 

following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services 

JANUARY 25, 2010 

Committee discharged; considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Commemorating the 150th anniversary of the founding of 

the Colorado National Guard. 

Whereas, on January 23, 1860, the history of the Colorado 

National Guard began when the first General Assembly 

of the Jefferson Territory authorized the formation of 2 

independent militia companies, the Jefferson Rangers 

and the Denver Guards, both of which were disbanded 

after the Colorado Volunteers were established as the official Colorado Territorial Militia; 

Whereas after Colorado became a State in 1876, the Colorado State Militia was activated on dozens of occasions 

to protect public rights, safety, and property; 


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SRES 395 ATS 

Whereas during World War I, nearly all units of the Colorado 

National Guard were called into service, serving as replacements on the front lines as well as carrying out crucial artillery support roles in most of the major campaigns near the end of the war; 

Whereas during World War II, Colorado National Guard 

units served in both the European and Pacific theaters, 

providing crucial indirect fire support throughout the Pacific, significantly contributing to the invasion of Italy 

and southern France, and partaking in the liberation of 

the Dachau concentration camp in April 1945; 

Whereas a year prior to the establishment of the United 

States Air Force in September 1947, the 120th Tactical 

Reconnaissance Squadron (Fighter) was federally recognized and redesignated as the 120th Fighter Squadron 

(Single-Engine), thus becoming the first federally recognized unit of the Air National Guard; 

Whereas the Colorado National Guard was called into Federal service in 1950 during the Korean War and in 1961 

during the Berlin Crisis; 

Whereas in 1968, the 120th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the 

Colorado Air National Guard became one of the first Air 

National Guard units to be mobilized and the first of 4 

fighter units to be deployed for combat operations in the 

Vietnam War; 

Whereas in 1990 and 1991, the Colorado National Guard 

was called into Federal service to support Operation 

Desert Shield/Storm in the Persian Gulf and enforce the 

United Nations-mandated no-fly zone over Iraq during 

Operations Northern and Southern Watch; 


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SRES 395 ATS 

Whereas the Colorado National Guard was called into Federal service in 1994 to help provide stability in Haiti and 

in 1999 as part of Operation Joint Forge in the Balkans; 

Whereas in recent years, the Colorado National Guard has 

supported various anti-drug and search-and-rescue missions and assisted the citizens of Colorado during numerous natural disasters and State emergencies; 

Whereas hours after the attack on the World Trade Center 

and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, the Colorado 

National Guard was activated to bolster airport security 

at 14 major airports across the State and the Pueblo 

Chemical Depot, with Colorado Guardsmen, as part of 

Operation Noble Eagle, launching the first defensive aircraft over the city of Denver within minutes of the terrorist attacks and initiating the Air Sovereignty Alert 

mission, which continues today with airmen and aircraft 

on alert 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to protect our 

Nation from aerial threats; 

Whereas since September 11, 2001, more than 6,500 Colorado National Guard members have served in Iraq and 

Afghanistan in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and 

Enduring Freedom, with more than 550 Colorado National Guard members currently deployed in support of 

both missions and another 160 members preparing for 

mobilization; 

Whereas the 3rd Battalion of the 157th Field Artillery Regiment, which traces its lineage back to the Civil War, is 

currently deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 

and is the largest Colorado Army National Guard unit to 

deploy since World War II; 


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SRES 395 ATS 

Whereas in 1985, the Colorado National Guard established 

the High-Altitude Army Aviation Training Site (HAATS) 

to instruct rotary wing aviators on how to better operate 

in hostile, high-altitude, and power-limited environments; 

Whereas HAATS is the only United States military school 

teaching such specialized techniques and has provided 

critical training to helicopter aviators in Iraq and Afghanistan; 

Whereas in 1993, the Colorado National Guard was among 

the first to form a partnership under the auspices of the 

State Partnership Program with the Republic of Slovenia, and in 2002, formed a second partnership with the 

Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan; 

Whereas the more than 3,700 citizen soldiers of the Colorado 

Army National Guard are based in 20 communities 

across Colorado, and the more than 1,500 citizen airmen 

of the Colorado Air National Guard are based at Buckley 

Air Force Base in Aurora, Colorado, as well as in Greeley 

and Colorado Springs, Colorado; 

Whereas the citizen soldiers and airmen of the Colorado National Guard have served with courage and selflessness 

and have earned the respect and gratitude of Coloradans 

and all Americans; and 

Whereas the Colorado National Guard continues to build on 

its heritage as a ready, reliable, and relevant communitybased force that is always ready and always there, whether to protect our homeland against attacks, to support 

civil authorities, or to defend freedom overseas: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 


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SRES 395 ATS 

1 (1) recognizes the 150th anniversary of the 

2 founding of the Colorado National Guard and its ex3 emplary service to the State of Colorado and the Na4 tion; 

5 (2) thanks the members of the Colorado Na6 tional Guard and their families for their service and 

7 their sacrifice on behalf of the State of Colorado and 

8 the Nation; 

9 (3) pledges its continued support in providing 

10 the Colorado National Guard with the resources nec11 essary to ensure its readiness to perform State and 

12 Federal missions; 

13 (4) expresses condolences to the families of 

14 those members of the Colorado National Guard who 

15 made the ultimate sacrifice and gave their lives while 

16 serving in the Colorado National Guard; and 

17 (5) honors the dedication of the members of the 

18 Colorado National Guard who play a central role in 

19 protecting the United States and the freedoms and 

20 liberties of its citizens. 

Æ 


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