Page 1 of 2
Regular Session, 2010 ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 39
BY SENATORS MARIONNEAUX, ADLEY, ALARIO, AMEDEE, APPEL, BROOME,
CHABERT, CHAISSON, CHEEK, CLAITOR, CROWE, DONAHUE,
DORSEY, DUPLESSIS, ERDEY, B. GAUTREAUX, N. GAUTREAUX,
GUILLORY, HEBERT, HEITMEIER, JACKSON, KOSTELKA,
LAFLEUR, LONG, MARTINY, MCPHERSON, MICHOT, MORREL L,
MORRISH, MOUNT, MURRAY, NEVERS, PETERSON, QUI NN,
RISER, SHAW, SMITH, THOMPSON AND WALSWORTH
A RESOLUTION
To express the sincere condolences of the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana to the
family of United States Army Private First Class Brian Bates.
WHEREAS, Brian Bates was a native son of Gretna, Louisiana, where he attended
George Cox Elementary and Livaudais Middle School in Terrytown, and developed his
athletic skills while participating in basketball, baseball and soccer on the fields at Oakdale
Park; and
WHEREAS, he was raised primarily by his grandmother, Marline O'Briant Tully,
and later, as a young man, he found work in the offshore oil world, holding various jobs and
working hard to support his family; and
WHEREAS, Brian now had a growing family of his own and in order to better
support his wife, Enjolie and his baby daughter and infant son, he enlisted in the United
States Army in November 2008; and
WHEREAS, Brian immersed himself in the rigors of basic combat training and found
great satisfaction in the Spartan lifestyle of the military as he successfully completed his
advanced individual training; and
WHEREAS, Brian, now a Private First Class, had toughened and hardened into an
excellent soldier during his duty at Ft. Lewis, Washington, learning the finer points of being
an infantryman; and
WHEREAS, PFC Bates knew he would be heading for the war in Afghanistan
sooner, or later, because of his job as a ground, combat trooper and his assignment to the 2
nd
Infantry Division; and SR NO. 39 ENROLLED
Page 2 of 2
WHEREAS, when PFC Bates received his orders for Operation Enduring Freedom
much sooner than expected, his wife Enjolie left college in order to spend the last several
months with her husband before his deployment; and
WHEREAS, after a whirlwind visit home and a family trip to Disney World, in July
2009, PFC Bates landed at his new duty station at Forward Operating Base Ramrod in
southern Afghanistan; and
WHEREAS, PFC Bates was soon serving as a member of Alpha Company, 1
st
Battalion, 17
th
Infantry Regiment, 5
th
Stryker Brigade Combat Team, and driving his fellow
soldiers into combat in a Stryker armored vehicle; and
WHEREAS, PFC Bates was twenty years old as he worked the controls of his
massive personnel carrier on October 27, 2009, through the uncharted, enemy- infested
territory of Kandahar, investigating reports of terrorist forces operating in his unit's tactical
area of operations; and
WHEREAS, PFC Bates and his men were soon engaged by enemy troops who
employed roadside, improvised explosive devices to mortally wound him and seven other
American soldiers in two separate bombings in the highly unstable province known for its
many Taliban fighters; and
WHEREAS, PFC Bates was highly decorated for his brave combat service, receiving
the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, Army Good Conduct Medal, the Afghanistan
Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Medal, the NATO Service Medal, the
National Defense Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, and the prestigious Combat
Infantryman Badge.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
does hereby extend its deepest and most profound condolences to the family of PFC Brian
Bates for their tremendous sacrifice and his courageous service to his country.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
family of PFC Bates.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE