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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, United States Air Force Colonel Michael R. Frankel, |
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commander of the 47th Flying Training Wing at Laughlin Air Force |
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Base, has long rendered exceptional service to this country; and |
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WHEREAS, In his present assignment, Colonel Frankel is |
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responsible for undergraduate flight training for United States Air |
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Force and allied officers; he commands a wing that operates 238 |
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training aircraft and that logs more than 80,000 flying hours and |
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55,000 sorties a year; Colonel Frankel is also responsible for |
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ensuring that all the units under his command are able to deploy in |
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support of combat operations worldwide; and |
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WHEREAS, An alumnus of the United States Merchant Marine |
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Academy, Mike Frankel was commissioned into the air force in 1988; |
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he graduated with distinction from the USAF Weapons School in 1996, |
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attended the Air Command and Staff College in 2000, and holds |
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master's degrees in military operational art and science from Air |
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University and in national security strategy from the National War |
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College; and |
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WHEREAS, Colonel Frankel previously served as commander of |
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the 12th Fighter Squadron at Elmendorf Air Force Base from 2005 to |
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2006; during that time, his squadron won the Hughes Trophy, the most |
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prestigious air force award bestowed on an air fighter defense |
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squadron, and claimed the William Tell championship, the title |
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given to the winner of the USAF biennial fighter gunnery |
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competition; and |
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WHEREAS, After attending the National War College in 2007, |
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Colonel Frankel served as executive officer to the commander, |
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Allied Air Component Command, Headquarters, Izmir, Turkey, from |
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2007 to 2008, as division chief in the Deputy Directorate for |
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Special Operations, Joint Staff, from 2008 to 2009, and as vice |
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commander of the 12th Flying Training Wing at Randolph Air Force |
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Base from 2009 to 2010; and |
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WHEREAS, Rated as a command pilot, Colonel Frankel has |
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amassed 2,400 flight hours and more than 250 combat hours; he was |
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the youngest F-15C pilot to deploy with the 27th Tactical Fighter |
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Squadron for service in Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm; in |
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addition to the F-15C, he is qualified to fly the T-37 and T-38; and |
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WHEREAS, Among the numerous awards conferred on Colonel |
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Frankel have been the Defense Superior Service Medal, Defense |
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Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with four oak |
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leaf clusters, Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Aerial |
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Achievement Medal with four oak leaf clusters, Commendation Medal |
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with four oak leaf clusters, and Combat Readiness Medal with three |
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oak leaf clusters; and |
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WHEREAS, Throughout a career distinguished by decisive |
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leadership and consummate professionalism, Colonel Frankel has set |
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the highest standards of excellence in the execution of his duties, |
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and he has earned the gratitude of every Texan; now, therefore, be |
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it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
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Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby commend Colonel Michael R. |
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Frankel for his outstanding military service and extend to him |
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sincere best wishes for continued success in all his endeavors; |
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and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Colonel Frankel as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |