Pennsylvania HR 354: A Resolution designating April 12, 2024, as "Volunteer Firefighter Day" in Pennsylvania to honor the brave men and women who make sacrifices to protect their community as volunteer firefighters.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 2495
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No. 354
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY HADDOCK, GUENST, FREEMAN, HILL-EVANS, PIELLI,
GIRAL, SCHLOSSBERG, VENKAT, KHAN, CERRATO, OTTEN, SANCHEZ,
STEELE, BOROWSKI, GREEN, K.HARRIS, RIVERA, INGLIS, BRENNAN,
HOHENSTEIN, PROBST, GALLAGHER, MADDEN, SHUSTERMAN AND CEPEDA-
FREYTIZ, OCTOBER 21, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS, OCTOBER 21, 2025
A RESOLUTION
Designating December 3, 2025, as "10th Anniversary of Women In
Combat Day" in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, Women assumed responsibilities in the first battles
of our nation's history, tending to soldiers' injuries and
cooking meals in army camps, decades before they were allowed to
serve in an official capacity; and
WHEREAS, It was not until World War I that women were finally
allowed to serve in the United States military, including
serving in the Army and Navy nurse corps and operating
telephones, switchboards and radios; and
WHEREAS, Women were enlisted in the ranks of all branches of
the military for the first time during World War II, though they
were ineligible for promotions to general and flag ranks until
1967, and could not command units that included men until 1972;
and
WHEREAS, President Harry S. Truman codified women's right to
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serve in all branches of the armed forces in 1948, followed by
the Integration of Armed Forces Executive Order one month later,
granting Black women that same right; and
WHEREAS, Although women were only allowed to make up 2% of
each branch's ranks, could not command men and could not serve
in combat positions, nearly 120,000 women served in active duty
positions in the Korean War and approximately 11,000 mostly
volunteer women were stationed in Vietnam during the Vietnam
War; and
WHEREAS, In February 1988, the Department of Defense adopted
the "Risk Rule," a standard by which branches of the armed
forces could evaluate the requirements for their positions and
decide to exclude women, which remained in effect until 1994;
and
WHEREAS, During the Gulf War, more than 40,000 women were
deployed to combat zones, though they were still not technically
allowed to serve in direct combat roles or assignments; and
WHEREAS, Army Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester was the first woman to
ever receive the Silver Star for direct combat action in 2005;
and
WHEREAS, In 2012, four servicewomen and the Service Women's
Action Network sued the Secretary of Defense to challenge the
Department of Defense's discriminatory combat exclusion policy;
and
WHEREAS, In January 2013, Secretary of Defense Leon E.
Panetta announced the end of the direct ground combat exclusion
rule for female service members and directed that all positions
be opened to qualified women by January 1, 2016, a decision
which two-thirds of the United States public supported at the
time; and
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WHEREAS, Secretary Panetta directed the military services and
specialty schools to update occupational performance standards
and, within three years, make any recommendations for any roles
that should be exceptions from being open to women; and
WHEREAS, In summer 2015, Shaye Haver and Kristen Griest were
the first female officers to graduate from the Army Ranger
school, though they were not immediately eligible for the
special operations force; and
WHEREAS, In September 2015, each branch of the United States
military service had to submit recommendations regarding whether
to expand eligibility for certain roles to include women or
request exceptions, at which point the Navy and Air Force both
confirmed that women would be eligible for all positions; and
WHEREAS, On December 3, 2015, Defense Secretary Ash Carter
announced that all combat roles would be open to women, creating
new opportunities to fill 220,000 roles, the remaining 10% of
military positions that were previously only available to men,
including roles as Army Rangers and Green Berets, Navy SEALs,
Marine Corps infantry and Air Force parajumpers; and
WHEREAS, Approximately 3,800 women currently serve in
frontline Army combat roles, nearly 700 serve in Marine Corps
combat roles, and around 730 women serve in the Naval submarine
force; and
WHEREAS, The Department of Defense made improvements for
women's conditions in the armed forces over time, including in
1975 by allowing service members to remain in the military after
becoming pregnant; and
WHEREAS, The revision of policies over time has allowed the
branches of the armed forces to recruit, train and promote the
most highly skilled and qualified service members through their
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ranks, regardless of sex; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate
December 3, 2025, as "10th Anniversary of Women In Combat Day"
in Pennsylvania.