By: Fraser S.C.R. No. 43
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The Legislature of the State of Texas is pleased to
join the airmen, the United States Department of Defense employees,
and the families of Dyess Air Force Base, along with the Abilene
community, in celebrating the 50th anniversary of the C-130
Hercules aircraft in the Big Country; and
WHEREAS, On February 8, 1961, the 64th Troop Carrier Wing
began a distinguished era of service with the arrival of the first
C-130 on the base; the early missions of the C-130s included
responding to the Cuban missile crisis of 1962 and delivering
support to the Distant Early Warning radar sites along the Arctic
Circle with ski-equipped transport models; longer-range models
were developed over the years, and the latest version of the
aircraft, the C-130J Super Hercules, began arriving in 2010; and
WHEREAS, The 64th Troop Carrier Wing passed the leadership
torch to the 516th Tactical Airlift Wing in 1963, followed by the
463rd Airlift Wing in 1972 and the 7th Wing in 1993; the 317th
Airlift Group of today was activated in 1997; and
WHEREAS, Over the past 50 years, more than 17,000 maintenance
workers and aircrew members have kept the C-130 Hercules ready to
respond to the next crisis; the Dyess C-130s have delivered
critical cargo under enemy fire and have been used to carry out
numerous humanitarian missions, such as airlifting refugees to
safety, fighting forest fires, and responding to Gulf Coast
hurricanes; the steadfast support of the Abilene community has been
an intregal part of the outstanding success of the C-130 mission at
Dyess Air Force Base; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby pay tribute to all who have participated in the missions and
the maintenance of the Dyess Air Force Base C-130 Hercules aircraft
over the last 50 years; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be prepared in honor
of the 50th anniversary of the C-130 Hercules aircraft at Dyess Air
Force Base.