SLS 171ES-25 ORIGINAL
2017 First Extraordinary Session
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 5
BY SENATOR PEACOCK
COMMENDATIONS. Commends the United States Eighth Air Force on the occasion of
its seventy-fifth anniversary.
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2 To commend and congratulate the commanders, officers, and airmen of the United States
3 Eighth Air Force, Barksdale Air Force Base, upon the occasion of its seventy-fifth
4 anniversary celebration.
5 WHEREAS, throughout history, whether in peace time or during war, the Eighth Air
6 Force has maintained a sterling reputation for its prompt action when a call to arms was
7 required in foreign locales and was delivered with the utmost professionalism; and
8 WHEREAS, known as "The Mighty Eighth," this combat-ready military organization
9 headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City, Louisiana, safeguards American
10 interests at home and throughout the world with its capacity for strategic deterrence and
11 global combat; and
12 WHEREAS, the men and women of The Mighty Eighth, both past and present, have
13 proudly served on every continent in thousands of air campaigns from its activation in 1942
14 during World War II in the European Theater while still a part of the United States Army Air
15 Corps, and the Eighth Air Force has actively served continuously through historic conflicts
16 in Southeast Asia, the Persian Gulf, and Afghanistan; and
17 WHEREAS, presently, leadership for the Eighth Air Force lies in the capable hands
18 of Major General Thomas A. Bussiere who follows in the footsteps of extraordinary
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1 commanders who have come before, that include Colonel Asa N. Duncan, Brigadier General
2 Ira C. Eaker, and General James H. "Jimmy" Doolittle, to name just a few; and
3 WHEREAS, The Mighty Eighth upholds a legacy of military service in its
4 present-day functions as an information operations and intelligence wing along with its
5 long-range nuclear-capable bomber assets; the Eighth Air Force remains a combat-ready
6 presence whose objectives include maintaining international peace and security; and
7 WHEREAS, the Eighth Air Force is an essential component of the United States Air
8 Force Global Strike Command; with the designation Task Force 204, The Mighty Eighth
9 provides on-alert, combat-ready forces at the immediate discretion of the President of the
10 United States; and
11 WHEREAS, as commander, Major General Thomas Bussiere has issued his
12 expectations for success, and these tenets demand a singular vision of "one force" focused
13 on discipline, excellence, and pride with continuous improvement of its readiness, strong
14 warrior culture, and global strike capability; and, lastly, the Eighth Air Force continues to
15 uphold these priorities to deter the enemy, to assure the public, to integrate seamlessly with
16 other military forces, and to execute orders to the letter; and
17 WHEREAS, while the tyranny of foreign dictators and despots makes for an uneasy
18 world peace, yet, when called upon, The Mighty Eighth will be "in the thick of it" when
19 armed conflicts erupt that involve the United States or its allies; and
20 WHEREAS, the Eighth Air Force has become a welcome addition to community life
21 in Northwestern Louisiana since its move to Barksdale AFB in 1972 and its presence
22 provides a steadfast reminder of the vast air supremacy of the United States military.
23 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
24 commend the United States Eighth Air Force on the occasion of the seventy-fifth
25 anniversary of its activation and does hereby congratulate the commanders, officers, and
26 airmen of The Mighty Eighth on its exemplary history of miliary air defense readiness.
27 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
28 Major General Thomas A. Bussiere, Barksdale Air Force Base, Bossier City, Louisiana.
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The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Susan P. Montague.
DIGEST
SCR 5 Original 2017 First Extraordinary Session Peacock
Commends the United States Eighth Air Force, Barksdale Air Force Base, upon the occasion
of its 75th anniversary celebration.
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