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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The Fort Hood community and citizens of Central |
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Texas are celebrating Fort Hood Day on January 30, 2009, and this |
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occasion provides a fitting opportunity to reflect on the |
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extraordinary service rendered by this renowned military |
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installation and its dedicated personnel; and |
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WHEREAS, Officially opened on September 18, 1942, Fort Hood |
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is the largest active-duty armored post in the United States, with a |
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total area of 340 square miles; today, as the Army's "premier power |
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projection platform," Fort Hood upholds its mission to maintain |
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combat readiness and the capacity to mount a "rapid and massive |
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military response"; and |
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WHEREAS, Since the 1970s, Fort Hood has also been at the |
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forefront in testing and introducing new equipment and training |
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troops in its use, as well as in evaluating and incorporating new |
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tactics and organizational structure; while troops at Fort Hood are |
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predominantly focused on combat preparedness, they have also |
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deployed to Bosnia in a peacekeeping capacity, and they routinely |
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provide disaster relief both at home and abroad; and |
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WHEREAS, More than 52,000 soldiers, one out of every 10 on |
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active duty, are currently assigned to Fort Hood; the only military |
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post in the United States that is able to support two armored |
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divisions, the fort is home to the 1st Cavalry Division and the 4th |
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Infantry Division, in addition to the III Corps Headquarters, the |
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13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), the 3rd Armored Cavalry |
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Regiment, the 3rd Brigade Combat Team 1st Infantry Division, and a |
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number of other units; and |
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WHEREAS, Since World War II, when the number of troops |
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stationed at Fort Hood rose as high as 100,000, the post has trained |
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and deployed soldiers for action in Korea, Vietnam, and the First |
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Gulf War, as well as dispatched troops to Somalia, the Caribbean |
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Basin, Central America, and Southwest Asia; and |
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WHEREAS, To date, Fort Hood has deployed more troops for |
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Operation Iraqi Freedom than any other base, and its 96th |
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Transportation Company, which shipped out for its sixth tour of |
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duty in October 2008, has deployed more often to Iraq than any other |
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army unit; reflecting its heavy contribution to the war effort in |
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that country, Fort Hood has sustained the most casualties in Iraq of |
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any post; a number of Fort Hood units have also served in |
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Afghanistan in Operation Enduring Freedom; and |
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WHEREAS, Among the myriad missions undertaken by Fort Hood |
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troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, one that will forever be recounted |
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in the history books is the capture of Saddam Hussein by the 1st |
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Brigade Combat Team of the 4th Infantry Division in December 2003; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Through their courage, professionalism, and |
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devotion to duty, the soldiers of Fort Hood exemplify the highest |
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standards of the United States armed forces, and their fellow |
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citizens owe to all these troops the deepest debt of gratitude; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize January 30, 2009, as Fort Hood Day and |
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extend to all those assigned to that post profound appreciation for |
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their exemplary valor and their immeasurable service in this |
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nation's behalf. |