2017 First Extraordinary Session ENROLLED
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 5
BY SENATORS PEACOCK, ALARIO, ALLAIN, APPEL, BARROW, BISHOP,
BOUDREAUX, BROWN, CARTER, CHABERT, CLAITOR,
COLOMB, CORTEZ, DONAHUE, ERDEY, FANNIN, GATTI,
HEWITT, JOHNS, LAFLEUR, LAMBERT, LONG, LUNEAU,
MARTINY, MILKOVICH, MILLS, MIZELL, MORRELL, MORRISH,
PERRY, PETERSON, RISER, GARY SMITH, JOHN SMITH,
TARVER, THOMPSON, WALSWORTH, WARD AND WHITE AND
REPRESENTATIVES GLOVER AND HORTON
A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
To commend and congratulate the commanders, officers, and airmen of the United States
Eighth Air Force, Barksdale Air Force Base, upon the occasion of its seventy-fifth
anniversary celebration.
WHEREAS, throughout history, whether in peace time or during war, the Eighth Air
Force has maintained a sterling reputation for its prompt action when a call to arms was
required in foreign locales and was delivered with the utmost professionalism; and
WHEREAS, known as "The Mighty Eighth," this combat-ready military organization
headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City, Louisiana, safeguards American
interests at home and throughout the world with its capacity for strategic deterrence and
global combat; and
WHEREAS, the men and women of The Mighty Eighth, both past and present, have
proudly served on every continent in thousands of air campaigns from its activation in 1942
during World War II in the European Theater while still a part of the United States Army Air
Corps, and the Eighth Air Force has actively served continuously through historic conflicts
in Southeast Asia, the Persian Gulf, and Afghanistan; and
WHEREAS, presently, leadership for the Eighth Air Force lies in the capable hands
of Major General Thomas A. Bussiere who follows in the footsteps of extraordinary
commanders who have come before, that include Colonel Asa N. Duncan, Brigadier General
Ira C. Eaker, and General James H. "Jimmy" Doolittle, to name just a few; and
WHEREAS, The Mighty Eighth upholds a legacy of military service in its
present-day functions as an information operations and intelligence wing along with its
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long-range nuclear-capable bomber assets; the Eighth Air Force remains a combat-ready
presence whose objectives include maintaining international peace and security; and
WHEREAS, the Eighth Air Force is an essential component of the United States Air
Force Global Strike Command; with the designation Task Force 204, The Mighty Eighth
provides on-alert, combat-ready forces at the immediate discretion of the President of the
United States; and
WHEREAS, as commander, Major General Thomas Bussiere has issued his
expectations for success, and these tenets demand a singular vision of "one force" focused
on discipline, excellence, and pride with continuous improvement of its readiness, strong
warrior culture, and global strike capability; and, lastly, the Eighth Air Force continues to
uphold these priorities to deter the enemy, to assure the public, to integrate seamlessly with
other military forces, and to execute orders to the letter; and
WHEREAS, while the tyranny of foreign dictators and despots makes for an uneasy
world peace, yet, when called upon, The Mighty Eighth will be "in the thick of it" when
armed conflicts erupt that involve the United States or its allies; and
WHEREAS, the Eighth Air Force has become a welcome addition to community life
in Northwestern Louisiana since its move to Barksdale AFB in 1972 and its presence
provides a steadfast reminder of the vast air supremacy of the United States military.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
commend the United States Eighth Air Force on the occasion of the seventy-fifth
anniversary of its activation and does hereby congratulate the commanders, officers, and
airmen of The Mighty Eighth on its exemplary history of miliary air defense readiness.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
Major General Thomas A. Bussiere, Barksdale Air Force Base, Bossier City, Louisiana.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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