| 2 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 3 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
|---|
| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, On May 16, 2020, Americans are paying special |
|---|
| 6 | 7 | | tribute to our nation's military personnel with the commemoration |
|---|
| 7 | 8 | | of Armed Forces Day; and |
|---|
| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, This annual observance was launched following the |
|---|
| 9 | 10 | | 1947 merger of the Departments of War and Navy into one entity, the |
|---|
| 10 | 11 | | National Military Establishment, now known as the Department of |
|---|
| 11 | 12 | | Defense; on this occasion, we pause to honor the members of the U.S. |
|---|
| 12 | 13 | | Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard, whose devotion to |
|---|
| 13 | 14 | | duty has helped safeguard Americans at home and abroad; and |
|---|
| 14 | 15 | | WHEREAS, The U.S. Army began as 10 companies of riflemen that |
|---|
| 15 | 16 | | were sanctioned by the Second Continental Congress on June 14, |
|---|
| 16 | 17 | | 1775; since that time, the army has supplied the majority of |
|---|
| 17 | 18 | | American ground troops when our nation has taken up arms; today, the |
|---|
| 18 | 19 | | service is composed of a number of divisions, including Infantry, |
|---|
| 19 | 20 | | Military Intelligence, Aviation, the Corps of Engineers, and |
|---|
| 20 | 21 | | Special Forces, as well as such specialized branches as the Army |
|---|
| 21 | 22 | | Medical Department Corps, Chaplain Corps, and Judge Advocate |
|---|
| 22 | 23 | | General's Corps; and |
|---|
| 23 | 24 | | WHEREAS, The foundation for the U.S. Navy was first laid on |
|---|
| 24 | 25 | | October 13, 1775, when the Second Continental Congress authorized |
|---|
| 25 | 26 | | the outfitting of two warships; following the Revolutionary War, |
|---|
| 26 | 27 | | the service remained dormant until the establishment of the |
|---|
| 27 | 28 | | Department of the Navy on April 30, 1798; today, naval personnel |
|---|
| 28 | 29 | | protect the homeland by sea and provide seaborne support to the |
|---|
| 29 | 30 | | other military branches; and |
|---|
| 30 | 31 | | WHEREAS, On November 10, 1775, the Second Continental |
|---|
| 31 | 32 | | Congress passed a resolution to assemble two marine battalions, and |
|---|
| 32 | 33 | | though the Marine Corps disbanded after the War of Independence, it |
|---|
| 33 | 34 | | was reestablished on July 11, 1798; the service is now a component |
|---|
| 34 | 35 | | of the Department of the Navy, with the mission of preparing for |
|---|
| 35 | 36 | | counterinsurgency, amphibious warfare, and commando operations; |
|---|
| 36 | 37 | | and |
|---|
| 37 | 38 | | WHEREAS, The U.S. Air Force traces its roots back to the 1907 |
|---|
| 38 | 39 | | creation of an aeronautical division within the U.S. Army Signal |
|---|
| 39 | 40 | | Corps, and it later became known as the Army Air Corps and the Army |
|---|
| 40 | 41 | | Air Forces before being designated as an individual branch within |
|---|
| 41 | 42 | | the Department of Defense on September 18, 1947; the service first |
|---|
| 42 | 43 | | proved its tremendous worth by performing crucial reconnaissance |
|---|
| 43 | 44 | | and bombing missions throughout World War I and World War II, and it |
|---|
| 44 | 45 | | quickly earned recognition as the most powerful air force on earth; |
|---|
| 45 | 46 | | the branch's scope has expanded dramatically over the years, and it |
|---|
| 46 | 47 | | now encompasses defense in the realms of air, space, and |
|---|
| 47 | 48 | | cyberspace; and |
|---|
| 48 | 49 | | WHEREAS, Founded in 1915, the U.S. Coast Guard is now part of |
|---|
| 49 | 50 | | the Department of Homeland Security; throughout its history, the |
|---|
| 50 | 51 | | branch has assumed many duties, from protecting against pirates to |
|---|
| 51 | 52 | | intercepting contraband, conducting search and rescue operations, |
|---|
| 52 | 53 | | responding to oil spills, and licensing and certifying all U.S. |
|---|
| 53 | 54 | | maritime personnel; during wartime, its efforts have included |
|---|
| 54 | 55 | | escort and patrol duty and assisting amphibious landings; and |
|---|
| 55 | 56 | | WHEREAS, From the infancy of our nation onward, American |
|---|
| 56 | 57 | | military personnel have been integral to preserving the security |
|---|
| 57 | 58 | | and liberty of our citizenry; this occasion provides a fitting |
|---|
| 58 | 59 | | opportunity to express our deepest gratitude to all active-duty |
|---|
| 59 | 60 | | servicemen and servicewomen, as well as to the members of the |
|---|
| 60 | 61 | | reserve forces, the Army National Guard, and the Air National Guard |
|---|
| 61 | 62 | | for their gallantry and dedication; now, therefore, be it |
|---|
| 62 | 63 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
|---|
| 63 | 64 | | Legislature hereby recognize May 16, 2020, as Armed Forces Day and |
|---|
| 64 | 65 | | pay tribute to the members of the nation's military. |
|---|