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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, On June 12, 2017, Texans joined together in |
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| 6 | 7 | | celebration of Women Veterans Day, an event inaugurated to |
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| 7 | 8 | | recognize the myriad achievements of women in the armed forces; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Since serving as nurses, spies, and even soldiers in |
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| 9 | 10 | | the Revolutionary War, women have been involved in every armed |
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| 10 | 11 | | conflict in American history; long before officially joining the |
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| 11 | 12 | | ranks of the U.S. Army, women carried out essential work in medical |
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| 12 | 13 | | and support roles during times of war; the Second World War led to |
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| 13 | 14 | | the creation of the Women's Army Corps, which allowed women to |
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| 14 | 15 | | enlist in the military in areas outside of nursing for the first |
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| 15 | 16 | | time, including military intelligence, cryptography, and |
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| 16 | 17 | | maintenance and supply; and |
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| 17 | 18 | | WHEREAS, In recognition of the outstanding contributions of |
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| 18 | 19 | | women in uniform during World War II, the Women's Armed Services |
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| 19 | 20 | | Integration Act was signed into law by President Harry S. Truman on |
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| 20 | 21 | | June 12, 1948; the law enabled women to serve as permanent, regular |
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| 21 | 22 | | members of the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force, |
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| 22 | 23 | | representing a major step toward the full inclusion of women in the |
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| 23 | 24 | | military; and |
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| 24 | 25 | | WHEREAS, The Global War on Terror has ushered in a rapid |
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| 25 | 26 | | expansion of roles for female service members; in 2013, the |
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| 26 | 27 | | restriction on women in direct ground combat roles was lifted, and |
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| 27 | 28 | | two years later, Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced the |
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| 28 | 29 | | decision to open up all military occupations and positions to |
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| 29 | 30 | | women, without exception; today, American women are serving in |
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| 30 | 31 | | greater numbers than ever before and contributing significantly to |
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| 31 | 32 | | the mission of each branch of the armed forces; and |
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| 32 | 33 | | WHEREAS, The State of Texas is proud to be home to the largest |
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| 33 | 34 | | population of women veterans in the country; through their courage, |
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| 34 | 35 | | their patriotism, and their professionalism, they are an |
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| 35 | 36 | | inspiration to us all, and we owe them an immense debt of gratitude |
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| 36 | 37 | | for their service and sacrifice; now, therefore, be it |
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| 37 | 38 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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| 38 | 39 | | Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby commemorate Women Veterans |
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| 39 | 40 | | Day 2017 in honor of the female members of the United States |
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| 40 | 41 | | military, past and present. |
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