2022 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 89
BY SENATORS MILLIGAN, BOUDREAUX, CATHEY, FOIL, REESE AND TARVER
A RESOLUTION
To commend the Louisiana National Guard on its exemplary service to the state during the
last two years in an unprecedented time of natural disasters.
WHEREAS, during these tumultuous years, the Louisiana National Guard has
performed exemplary work and displayed tremendous dedication through its efforts to
protect the lives and welfare of Louisianians; and
WHEREAS, the Louisiana National Guard fulfills its federal and state missions in
concert with a wide variety of statewide organizations; and
WHEREAS, by air, by land, and by water, the Louisiana National Guard knows what
to do in any emergency and it all begins with working as a team; and
WHEREAS, the Louisiana National Guard has supported the response to the
pandemic since COVID-19's first known case in March 2020; and
WHEREAS, more than nine hundred soldiers and airmen of the Louisiana National
Guard remain activated in response to COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, due to the efforts of the Guard, more than four hundred ninety-seven
three hundred fifty-two individuals were tested at twenty-three test sites statewide, two
million three hundred forty-one thousand seven hundred ninety-five food boxes were
distributed, sixty-one million nine hundred thousand items of personal protective equipment
(PPE) were delivered, and one hundred ninety thousand two hundred ninety-eight shots were
administered; and
WHEREAS, through five waves of the pandemic, the soldiers and airmen of the
Louisiana National Guard have developed new skills that have better prepared the Louisiana
National Guard for future pandemics; and
WHEREAS, the Louisiana National Guard stretched itself in every direction,
supporting all missions including food and water distribution, transportation,
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communication, public works, engineering, emergency management, mass care, emergency
assistance, logistics management, COVID-19 testing, public safety, security, traffic control,
generators, power supply, and food bank operations; and
WHEREAS, Hurricane Laura came ashore in south Louisiana August 27, 2020, as
a Category 4, causing catastrophic flooding and damage; and
WHEREAS, more than six thousand two hundred Louisiana National Guard
members were deployed, using two hundred thirty-six high water vehicles, seventy-six boats,
and seventeen helicopters to support hurricane rescue efforts, in addition to over a dozen
engineering teams trained to help move debris and clear roads; and
WHEREAS, the Guard helped evacuate more than three hundred fifty-eight people
and twenty-nine pets from affected areas; and
WHEREAS, after Hurricane Laura, the Louisiana National Guard distributed more
than five million meals ready-to-eat, over seven million liters of water, more than one
million bags of ice, and nearly two hundred thousand tarps to victims of the storm; and
WHEREAS, Hurricane Ida came ashore in south Louisiana August 29, 2021, as a
Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 150 mph and heavy rainfall, causing catastrophic
flooding and damage; and
WHEREAS, the Louisiana National Guard conducted search and rescue sweeps
across thirty-one parishes, rescuing more than three hundred ninety-seven people and
sixty-five pets by the Wednesday after the hurricane and clearing four hundred and three
miles of routes clogged with debris; and
WHEREAS, the Louisiana National Guard distributed almost seven million MREs
and almost eight million liters of water, over one million three hundred thousand bags of ice,
over three hundred thousand tarps, and over four hundred generators; and
WHEREAS, Guardsmen opened seventeen locations to distribute food and water to
people in need in nine parishes, with plans to operate forty; and
WHEREAS, another four hundred guard members were assisting law enforcement
with security in New Orleans and six parishes; and
WHEREAS, about four thousand three hundred members of the Louisiana National
Guard were assisting with relief efforts; and
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WHEREAS, more than one thousand two hundred members of the Louisiana
National Guard helped clear roads and handled logistical support in response to the winter
storm in 2021; and
WHEREAS, using four engineer assessment teams and four engineer work teams,
the Louisiana National Guard assessed one hundred thirty-seven miles of road while clearing
one hundred eleven miles of snow and debris from roads in three parishes; and
WHEREAS, the Louisiana National Guard also provided seven wreckers to help
Louisiana State Police and state transportation officials clear Interstate 20, moving two
hundred sixty disabled commercial vehicles; and
WHEREAS, the Guard also distributed over one million two hundred thousand
one-liter bottles of water to people in parishes affected by the storm and over four hundred
thousand gallons of bulk water to hospitals and other medical centers; and
WHEREAS, the Guard provided thirteen generators to six parishes to assist with
water systems; and
WHEREAS, the Louisiana National Guard responded to flooding throughout the
state following multiple days of steady rain beginning in May of 2021; and
WHEREAS, at the height of the response, the Louisiana National Guard had three
hundred ninety-three Guard members activated to support various missions, including search
and rescue, engineering, and aerial reconnaissance; and
WHEREAS, using as many as seventy-nine high-water vehicles and nineteen boats,
Guardsmen rescued twenty-five people and two pets in Lake Charles; and
WHEREAS, engineer assessment teams worked with local and state officials to
determine the specific needs of communities to combat rising flood waters, while teams in
multiple locations installed three thousand three hundred fifty feet of Tiger Dam, as a series
of water-filled tubes that create a barrier to mitigate flooding; and
WHEREAS, the Louisiana National Guard confronted a demanding series of events
with multiple challenges and missions at home and abroad; and
WHEREAS, Guardsmen deployed overseas and to other states during the past few
years responded to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and other emergencies and participated
in several significant events; and
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WHEREAS, the tireless professionalism of our soldiers and airmen in supporting the
state's initial response to the COVID-19 crisis and responding to the devastation of several
hurricanes, including but not limited to hurricanes Laura and Ida, demonstrate the
immeasurable value of the men and women of the Louisiana National Guard; and
WHEREAS, the Louisiana National Guard continues to live up to its promise of
"Always Ready, Always There".
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
does hereby commend the Louisiana National Guard on its exemplary service to the state
during the last two years in an unprecedented time of natural disaster.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
Major General Keith Waddell of the Louisiana National Guard.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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