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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Lieutenant Colonel Justin Elliott has been |
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| 6 | 7 | | appointed as the commander of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds for |
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| 7 | 8 | | the 2022-2023 demonstration season; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, The official air demonstration team of the U.S. Air |
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| 9 | 10 | | Force, the Thunderbirds unit was first established in 1953, and its |
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| 10 | 11 | | crack jet pilots have flown at air shows across the nation and |
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| 11 | 12 | | around the world; over the past 68 years, they have performed |
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| 12 | 13 | | spectacular aerial maneuvers before millions of people; and |
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| 13 | 14 | | WHEREAS, A native of Jersey Village, Texas, Justin Elliott |
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| 14 | 15 | | majored in mechanical engineering at Yale University, where he was |
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| 15 | 16 | | a member of the ROTC; after earning his bachelor's degree in 2005, |
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| 16 | 17 | | he was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Air Force, and he is a |
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| 17 | 18 | | 2012 graduate of the USAF Weapons School and a 2015 graduate of the |
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| 18 | 19 | | USAF Test Pilot School; in the course of his military career, he has |
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| 19 | 20 | | logged more than 2,000 hours of flight time and over 255 hours as a |
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| 20 | 21 | | combat pilot; and |
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| 21 | 22 | | WHEREAS, This skilled aviator's air force career has included |
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| 22 | 23 | | service as an F-15E operational test pilot at Nellis Air Force Base |
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| 23 | 24 | | and as an experimental fighter test pilot at Eglin AFB; he has also |
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| 24 | 25 | | held the post of director of operations for the 59th Test and |
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| 25 | 26 | | Evaluation Squadron at Nellis, and in January 2020 he became the |
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| 26 | 27 | | squadron's commander; and |
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| 27 | 28 | | WHEREAS, Lieutenant Colonel Justin Elliott has greatly |
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| 28 | 29 | | benefited the mission of the U.S. Air Force, and he may reflect with |
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| 29 | 30 | | pride on his many achievements as he takes on the challenges and |
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| 30 | 31 | | opportunities of his exciting new assignment; now, therefore, be it |
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| 31 | 32 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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| 32 | 33 | | Legislature hereby congratulate Lieutenant Colonel Justin Elliott |
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| 33 | 34 | | on his appointment as the commander of the U.S. Air Force |
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| 34 | 35 | | Thunderbirds and extend to him sincere best wishes for continued |
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| 35 | 36 | | success in his important work; and, be it further |
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| 36 | 37 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 37 | 38 | | prepared for Lieutenant Colonel Elliott as an expression of high |
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| 38 | 39 | | regard by the Texas House of Representatives. |
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