IA

107TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. J. RES. 94

Honoring the members of the Massachusetts Air National Guard’s 102nd

Fighter Wing for their extraordinary performance, leadership, and dedication to duty in support of Operation Noble Eagle and in providing

combat air patrols during and immediately following the terrorist attacks

on the Nation on September 11, 2001.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MAY 22, 2002

Mr. CAPUANO (for himself, Mr. DELAHUNT, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. OLVER, Mr.

MEEHAN, Mr. LYNCH, Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr.

FRANK, and Mr. TIERNEY) introduced the following joint resolution;

which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services

JOINT RESOLUTION

Honoring the members of the Massachusetts Air National

Guard’s 102nd Fighter Wing for their extraordinary performance, leadership, and dedication to duty in support

of Operation Noble Eagle and in providing combat air

patrols during and immediately following the terrorist

attacks on the Nation on September 11, 2001.

Whereas on the morning of September 11, 2001, the 102nd

Fighter Wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard

became the Nation’s first airborne responder to the terrorist attacks of that day when it scrambled two F–15

fighter aircraft just six minutes after being informed of

the terrorist hijackings of commercial airliners;
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Whereas within the first hour of the terrorist attacks, the

102nd Fighter Wing launched six armed aircraft on combat air patrol over New York City and Boston;

Whereas as a result of its ability to respond so quickly and

effectively, the 102nd Fighter Wing became the country’s

lead air defense squadron for Operation Noble Eagle;

Whereas the 102nd Fighter Wing established a twenty-four

hours a day, seven days a week presence in the skies over

the northeast and mid-Atlantic portions of the country;

Whereas in the first three days of the national crisis, the

102nd Fighter Wing was the country’s sole clearance and

identification authority for air traffic, and its flawless

execution expedited the flow of medevac and recovery aircraft to the World Trade Center site;

Whereas from September 11, 2001, until receiving orders to

stand down on February 1, 2002, the 102nd Fighter

Wing flew a total of 770 sorties, compiling over 3,200

hours in direct support of Operation Noble Eagle and

combat air patrols over New York City, Washington,

D.C., and Boston;

Whereas during this nearly five-month period, the unit came

close to surpassing its annual allocation of flying hours

and sustained a remarkable 300 percent increase in operational tempo;

Whereas the 102nd Fighter Wing’s maintenance crews provided fully mission capable aircraft that enabled the

squadron to meet 100 percent of its combat air patrol

and alert taskings as well as to provide fill in for other

units when those units could not meet their taskings; and

Whereas the 102nd Fighter Wing was selected as the 2002

recipient of the Winston P. Wilson Trophy, given annu-
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ally to the country’s most outstanding Air National

Guard fighter unit, and is a finalist for the 2002 Hughes

Achievement Award, which recognizes the top fighter unit

in the entire United States Air Force: Now, therefore, be

it

1 Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives

2 of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 That Congress—

4 (1) acknowledges the tremendous accomplish5 ments of the Massachusetts Air National Guard’s

6 102nd Fighter Wing in response to the terrorist at7 tacks on the Nation on September 11, 2001; and

8 (2) commends the members of the 102nd Fight9 er Wing for their extraordinary performance, leader10 ship, and dedication to duty in support of Operation

11 Noble Eagle and in providing combat air patrols

12 during and immediately following those attacks.

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