Georgia HR 267: National Guard Day at the state capitol; March 28, 2019; recognize

Bill Text

19 LC 117 0839
H. R. 267
- 1 -
House Resolution 267
By: Representatives Clark of the 147
th, Bonner of the 72
nd, Williams of the 168
th, Glanton of
the 75
th, Blackmon of the 146
th, and others
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing March 28, 2019, as National Guard Day at the state capitol; and for other1
purposes.2
WHEREAS, the Georgia Department of Defense provides combat-ready military forces to3
Combatant Commanders and, upon the order of the Governor, provides personnel to support4
civilian authorities when responding to natural or man-made disasters; and5
WHEREAS, the Georgia Department of Defense is headquartered at the Clay National Guard6
Center in Marietta, Georgia, and includes the Georgia Army National Guard, the Georgia Air7
National Guard, and the Georgia State Defense Force; and8
WHEREAS, the Georgia Department of Defense consists of 10,890 Army National Guard9
Soldiers, 2,915 Air National Guard Airmen, 500 State Defense Force volunteers, and 65010
state employees; and11
WHEREAS, Georgia's Army National Guard is the eighth largest in the nation, trains in 7012
hometown armories and regional facilities across the state, and includes combat, combat13
support, and combat service support units; and14
WHEREAS, Georgia's Army National Guard is organized into five major subordinate15
commands which are the Macon based 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, the Ellenwood16
based 78th Troop Command, the 648th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade at Fort Benning,17
and the 78th Aviation Troop Command and 201st Regional Support Group at the Clay18
National Guard Center in Marietta; and19
WHEREAS, the Georgia Air National Guard is the air power component of the State of20
Georgia with 2,915 airmen and officers assigned to the 116th Air Control Wing in Warner21
Robins, the 165th Airlift Wing in Savannah, and seven geographically separated units22
throughout Georgia; and23

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H. R. 267
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WHEREAS, the Georgia State Defense Force is a volunteer unit of the Georgia Department24
of Defense, providing emergency services and disaster response under direction of the25
Governor and the Adjutant General of Georgia; and26
WHEREAS, in 2018, the Georgia National Guard deployed 3,500 Soldiers and Airmen to27
Afghanistan, Kuwait, Iraq, Guantanamo Bay, Jordan, the Country of Georgia, Argentina,28
Germany, the Southwest border of the United States, and throughout all geographic29
commands in support of combat operations; and30
WHEREAS, the Georgia Department of Defense responded to Hurricane Michael with 1,60031
personnel from the Georgia State Defense Force, the Army National Guard, and the Air32
National Guard; and33
WHEREAS, the Georgia National Guard operates one of the most robust and successful34
Youth Challenge Programs with campuses at Fort Stewart, Fort Gordon, and Milledgeville,35
where over 16,500 high school dropouts have graduated and have been given opportunities36
to receive a high school diploma or general educational development diploma; in addition,37
Georgia's Youth Challenge Program has been instrumental in helping these young men and38
women secure a lasting future through assistance in employment opportunities for the recent39
graduates; and40
WHEREAS, Georgia's Youth Challenge Academy has been augmented by the addition of41
the Job Challenge Academy, which accepts selected Youth Challenge graduates and provides42
them with six months of technical training in vocational programs and has graduated 31143
students, 51 of whom have joined the military; and44
WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that the outstanding contributions of these45
extraordinary servicemen and servicewomen be appropriately recognized.46
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that47
the members of this body commend the men and women of the Georgia Department of48
Defense for their selfless service to their state and nation and recognize March 28, 2019, as49
National Guard Day at the state capitol.50
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized51
and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to the52
Georgia Department of Defense.53