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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, In February 2021, Texas is celebrating the 80th |
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| 6 | 7 | | anniversary of the Texas State Guard; and |
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| 7 | 8 | | WHEREAS, The first colonial militia was established in Texas |
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| 8 | 9 | | in 1823, and after independence from Mexico and statehood, the |
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| 9 | 10 | | various militias across Texas were consolidated in 1871 as the |
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| 10 | 11 | | State Guard, which was replaced in 1903 by the Texas Army National |
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| 11 | 12 | | Guard; in 1940, the creation of local military units was authorized |
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| 12 | 13 | | by the U.S. Congress whenever the National Guard was deployed for |
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| 13 | 14 | | federal service, and on February 10, 1941, the Texas Legislature |
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| 14 | 15 | | created the Texas State Guard, which quickly grew to include almost |
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| 15 | 16 | | 17,500 officers and enlisted personnel organized into 50 |
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| 16 | 17 | | battalions; in 1948, the legislature activated the Texas State |
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| 17 | 18 | | Guard Reserve Corps, which continued until the Texas State Guard |
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| 18 | 19 | | was reauthorized in 1965; and |
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| 19 | 20 | | WHEREAS, One of the three branches of the Texas Military |
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| 20 | 21 | | Department, the Texas State Guard is headquartered at Camp Mabry in |
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| 21 | 22 | | Austin; over the years, this mission-ready military force's duties |
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| 22 | 23 | | have included providing security for the state's infrastructure |
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| 23 | 24 | | during World War II, maintaining order after civil unrest, and |
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| 24 | 25 | | conducting recovery efforts after such catastrophic events as the |
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| 25 | 26 | | explosion of a freighter in Texas City in 1947 and the loss of the |
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| 26 | 27 | | space shuttle Columbia in 2003; since 2005, the guard's 125 |
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| 27 | 28 | | deployments have included responding to Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, |
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| 28 | 29 | | Ike, and Harvey and the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the long-term |
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| 29 | 30 | | border missions Operation Border Star and Operation Drawbridge; it |
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| 30 | 31 | | has also taken part in such public service efforts as Operation Lone |
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| 31 | 32 | | Star, which provides critical medical care to underserved |
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| 32 | 33 | | populations in South Texas; and |
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| 33 | 34 | | WHEREAS, For eight decades, the men and women of the Texas |
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| 34 | 35 | | State Guard have lived up to their motto, "Equal to the Task," by |
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| 35 | 36 | | standing ready to aid and protect their fellow citizens, and their |
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| 36 | 37 | | remarkable record of courageous and dedicated service is truly |
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| 37 | 38 | | worthy of celebration on this milestone occasion; now, therefore, |
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| 38 | 39 | | be it |
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| 39 | 40 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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| 40 | 41 | | Legislature hereby commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Texas |
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| 41 | 42 | | State Guard and extend to all those associated with the guard |
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| 42 | 43 | | sincere best wishes for continued success in their important work; |
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| 43 | 44 | | and, be it further |
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| 44 | 45 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 45 | 46 | | prepared for the Texas State Guard as an expression of high regard |
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| 46 | 47 | | by the Texas House of Representatives. |
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