79S20654 MMS-D



By:  Herrero                                                      H.R. No. 222







R E S O L U T I O N

	WHEREAS, Jerardo Rios, Jr., of Killeen has rendered valiant 

service to this country as a member of its armed forces; and

	WHEREAS, Sergeant Rios enlisted in the Marine Corps for a 

four-year term on July 12, 1999, at the age of 18; he began his 

training at Camp Pendleton, California, where he graduated second 

in his class, and then transferred to Missouri for specialized 

training as a motorized vehicle operator; he subsequently spent 

three years at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and a year in Okinawa, 

where he conducted training in vehicle operation and served as a 

dispatcher; and

	WHEREAS, During his years in the Marine Corps, Jerardo Rios 

achieved the rank of platoon sergeant and received the Good Conduct 

Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Sea Service Deployment 

Ribbon, and Rifle Marksman Badge; and

	WHEREAS, In the fall of 2003, after his honorable discharge 

from the Marines, this admirable Texan enlisted in the U.S. Army as 

a specialist for a three-year term; the following January, he 

deployed overseas to Camp Victory, just outside Baghdad, for a 

13-month tour of duty; while in Iraq, Jerardo Rios was promoted to 

sergeant and assigned to escort high-profile visitors, such as 

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and entertainers Toby Keith 

and Ted Nugent, during their visits to that country; and

	WHEREAS, Sergeant Rios reenlisted in the army for four years 

in June 2005; he has now completed Recruiter and Retention School, 

in preparation for his new assignment as an army recruiter; and

	WHEREAS, Jerardo Rios married his high school sweetheart, 

Minerva, on January 21, 2000; the couple are the proud parents of a 

four-year-old son, Jerardo Rios III; and

	WHEREAS, Throughout his career in the military, Sergeant Rios 

has performed his missions with exemplary dedication and 

professionalism, and his unfaltering devotion to duty, honor, and 

this country reflect the highest ideals of the U.S. armed forces; 

now, therefore, be it

	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 79th Texas 

Legislature, 2nd Called Session, hereby honor Sergeant Jerardo 

Rios, Jr., for his courageous service in the military forces of the 

United States of America and extend to him sincere best wishes for 

continued success in all his endeavors; and, be it further

	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 

prepared for Sergeant Rios as an expression of high regard by the 

Texas House of Representatives.