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Regular Session, 2014 ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 97
BY SENATORS ADLEY, ALARIO, ALLAIN, AMEDEE, APPEL, BROOME, BROWN,
BUFFINGTON, CHABERT, CLAI TOR, CORTEZ, CROWE,
DONAHUE, DORSEY-COLOMB, ERDEY, GALLOT, GUILLORY,
HEITMEIER, JOHNS, KOSTELKA, LAFLEUR, LONG, MARTINY,
MILLS, MORRELL, MORRISH , MURRAY, NEVERS, PEACOCK,
PERRY, PETERSON, RISER, GARY SMITH, JOHN SMITH,
TARVER, THOMPSON, WALSWORTH, WARD AND WHI TE
A RESOLUTION
To express the sincere condolences of the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana to the
family of United States Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant Gregory Mullins upon his
death during a combat training exercise in California.
WHEREAS, Gunnery Sergeant Mullins grew up in Bayou L'Ourse, a small town in
Assumption Parish where everyone in the community knew each other, worshiped together,
and worked along the side of their neighbor; and
WHEREAS, Gunnery Sergeant Mullins graduated from Morgan City High School
and in March of 2002, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps to fulfill his lifelong goal of
becoming a Marine; and
WHEREAS, Gunnery Sergeant Mullins had long valued loyalty, courage and
integrity, and he worked and trained hard, and made those qualities a part of his life as a
dedicated Marine; and
WHEREAS, as a highly respected member of the Corps, he chose as his field of
expertise the extremely dangerous job of an explosive ordnance disposal technician, and
after much training, he became part of an elite team of Marine Corps ordnance experts; and
WHEREAS, Gunnery Sergeant Mullins mastered his military duties and
responsibilities quickly and was steadily promoted as his leadership skills were recognized
by his superior officers; an inspiration to his men, the troops in his unit followed his orders
without hesitation; and
WHEREAS, Gunnery Sergeant Mullins would be deployed twice to Afghanistan, in
2011 and 2012, as a team leader and learned much as he patrolled the often ambushed routes
of the deadly war zone in search of much feared improvised explosive devices; and SR NO. 97 ENROLLED
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WHEREAS, Gunnery Sergeant Mullins returned to the United States from Operation
Enduring Freedom with much combat experience and was chosen to serve as the
Noncommissioned Officer-In-Charge assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron,
Marine Corps Air Station, Camp Pendleton; and
WHEREAS, on November13, 2013, thirty-one year old Gunnery Sergeant Mullins
was one of a group of Marine Corps Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians sweeping a
firing range called the Zulu impact area where munitions such as grenades, mortars, artillery
and rockets were used for training Marines in the dangerous art of war; and
WHEREAS, during the range maintenance operation to dispose of unexpended
ordnance, no live fire of weapons are allowed, but the munitions being collected and secured
for disposal can be so unstable that handling them is extremely dangerous, even for the elite
and highly trained Marine explosives experts; and
WHEREAS, Range NCOIC Gunnery Sergeant Mullins, Staff Sergeant Mathew
Marsh, Staff Sergeant Eric Summers, and Sergeant Miguel Ortiz were all mortally wounded
when the munitions they were collecting detonated; and
WHEREAS, Gunnery Sergeant Mullins' awards and decorations include two Navy
and Marine Corps Commendations Medals, the deeply respected Combat Action Ribbon,
three Marine Corps Good Conduct Medals, the National Defense Service Medal, the
Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the NATO
Medal-ISAF Afghanistan.
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 Gunnery
Sergeant Gregory Mullins for the immeasurable loss they have suffered by his death and for
the ultimate sacrifice this Marine made.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
U.S.M.C. Gunnery Sergeant Gregory Mullins wife Violeta, his children, Ethan, age three,
Giovanna, age two, and stepdaughter, Camila, age nine, as well as his mother Dena Polk, and
father Christopher Holbert.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE