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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Distinguished representatives from the Ellington |
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Field Joint Reserve Base are visiting the State Capitol on February |
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16, 2011; and |
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WHEREAS, Constructed in 1917 to prepare military air |
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personnel during the First World War, Ellington Field later served |
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as the training base for thousands of pilots, navigators, and |
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bombardiers during World War II; the base became a municipal |
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airport in 1984 but continued to provide support for military |
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reserve and guard units, as well as NASA; and |
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WHEREAS, The military side of this mixed-use airport was |
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renamed Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base in 2010 to reflect its |
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emergence in joint total force structure; it hosts commands from |
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all five U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Department of Homeland |
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Security military services, as well as those of interagency |
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missions and the NASA Johnson Space Center Aviation Department; |
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equipped with state-of-the-art training technology, it readies for |
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deployment Army, Navy, and Marine Reserve units, along with Army |
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and Air National Guard personnel; and |
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WHEREAS, The Ellington Field base protects the only region in |
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the country that holds all 17 national asset categories identified |
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by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as prime potential |
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targets for global terrorism; moreover, it is home to the 147th |
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Reconnaissance Wing Mission, whose transition from F-16s to |
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unmanned aerial systems reflects a trend that is transforming the |
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U.S. Air Force and Air Guard; and |
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WHEREAS, Since 2008, the number of active, reserve, and guard |
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troops stationed at Ellington Field has increased from 1,500 to |
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more than 6,000; the base is in the midst of a $100 million |
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expansion, its largest in more than three decades; additions |
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include a second Armed Forces Reserve Center and a |
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40,000-square-foot Battle Command Training Center, and a new Coast |
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Guard headquarters facility is scheduled for completion in 2012; |
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recognizing the positive impact of the base on surrounding |
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communities, civic and business leaders work together to support |
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its development through the Ellington Field Task Force, which is |
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led by the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership; and |
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WHEREAS, Ellington Field has long made important |
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contributions to the Houston-area economy, and Ellington Field |
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Joint Reserve Base plays a vital role in defending the security of |
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our state and our nation; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize February 16, 2011, as Ellington Field |
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Day at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation best |
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wishes for a memorable and productive day in Austin. |
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Legler |
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J. Davis of Harris |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 433 was adopted by the House on |
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February 16, 2011, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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