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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, Ruben Perez is retiring as Fire Chief of Naval Air |
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| 6 | 7 | | Station Corpus Christi on May 31, 2021, drawing to a close a |
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| 7 | 8 | | distinguished career as a firefighter that has spanned more than |
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| 8 | 9 | | three decades; and |
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| 9 | 10 | | WHEREAS, A native of Ozona, Ruben Perez served in the U.S. |
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| 10 | 11 | | Navy from 1983 to 1989, and shortly after his discharge at the rank |
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| 11 | 12 | | of Petty Officer Third Class, he joined the Department of Defense |
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| 12 | 13 | | Fire and Emergency Services at NAS Corpus Christi; in 1990, he |
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| 13 | 14 | | transferred to the Naval Station Ingleside Fire and Emergency |
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| 14 | 15 | | Services Department, where he served as Firefighter, Engineer, |
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| 15 | 16 | | Captain, and Assistant Chief; in 1996, he graduated cum laude from |
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| 16 | 17 | | Del Mar College with an associate's degree in fire science; and |
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| 17 | 18 | | WHEREAS, Mr. Perez became Fire Chief at NAS Kingsville in |
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| 18 | 19 | | 2001, and in 2004, he simultaneously took on the position of Fire |
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| 19 | 20 | | Chief at NAS Corpus Christi; by 2005, he was the Fire Chief for |
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| 20 | 21 | | three installations, NAS Corpus Christi, NAS Kingsville, and NS |
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| 21 | 22 | | Ingleside, managing seven district areas staffed by 16 engine |
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| 22 | 23 | | companies; under his leadership, NS Ingleside was named Department |
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| 23 | 24 | | of the Navy Small Fire Department of the Year and NAS Corpus Christi |
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| 24 | 25 | | was named CNRSE Large Fire Department of the Year; and |
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| 25 | 26 | | WHEREAS, During this time, Chief Perez also oversaw 60 |
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| 26 | 27 | | firefighters in the response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, |
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| 27 | 28 | | implemented civil service upgrades of more than a hundred |
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| 28 | 29 | | firefighters, helped develop the Mobile Aircraft Firefighting |
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| 29 | 30 | | Training Device Program, and assisted the Secret Service in |
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| 30 | 31 | | conjunction with visits by Vice President Dick Cheney and President |
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| 31 | 32 | | George H. W. Bush, among many other achievements; and |
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| 32 | 33 | | WHEREAS, After the merger of Navy Region Southeast, Chief |
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| 33 | 34 | | Perez resumed service as Fire Chief of NAS Kingsville, which was |
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| 34 | 35 | | named Navy Medium Category Fire Department of the Year in 2009, and |
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| 35 | 36 | | since October 2017, he has been the Fire Chief of NAS Corpus |
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| 36 | 37 | | Christi; his many commendations and awards include the Good Conduct |
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| 37 | 38 | | Medal, two Civilian of the Year awards, Navy Fire Chief of the Year, |
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| 38 | 39 | | CNRSE Fire Chief of the Year, Senior Civilian of the Year, and the |
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| 39 | 40 | | Navy Civilian Meritorious Award; in his private life, he is active |
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| 40 | 41 | | with his church, the Knights of Columbus, and youth football and |
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| 41 | 42 | | baseball leagues, and in all his endeavors, he benefits from the |
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| 42 | 43 | | love and support of his children, Brandon, Brianna, and Blake; and |
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| 43 | 44 | | WHEREAS, Ruben Perez has demonstrated an exceptional |
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| 44 | 45 | | commitment to protecting the lives and property of his fellow |
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| 45 | 46 | | citizens, and he may reflect with pride on a career well spent; now, |
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| 46 | 47 | | therefore, be it |
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| 47 | 48 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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| 48 | 49 | | Legislature hereby congratulate Chief Ruben Perez on his retirement |
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| 49 | 50 | | from Naval Air Station Corpus Christi and extend to him sincere best |
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| 50 | 51 | | wishes for the future; and, be it further |
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| 51 | 52 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 52 | 53 | | prepared for Chief Perez as an expression of high regard by the |
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| 53 | 54 | | Texas House of Representatives. |
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