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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Austin McCall of Katy has |
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received the Bronze Star with Valor and the Purple Heart for his |
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exceptional bravery in combat while serving in Afghanistan; and |
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WHEREAS, A member of the elite 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger |
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Regiment, Sergeant McCall was leading a squad in eastern |
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Afghanistan on January 5, 2010, when he received intelligence that |
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a guesthouse in a nearby compound was sheltering a group of |
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insurgents, including a suicide bomber; and |
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WHEREAS, Sergeant McCall was the first man to enter the |
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compound, and in the courtyard, he confronted an insurgent who |
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flung a grenade at him before being killed and dropping another; the |
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second grenade exploded on impact and hit the sergeant; the other |
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insurgents quickly opened fire, and despite being seriously |
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wounded, Sergeant McCall returned fire, enabling his squad to enter |
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and secure the compound, with another group of Rangers soon to |
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follow; a helicopter was summoned and arrived 30 minutes later to |
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take Sergeant McCall to a forward operating base for treatment; he |
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was later airlifted to a hospital in Germany; he returned to Fort |
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Lewis, Washington, for continued care, but at his insistence, he |
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was back with his unit in Afghanistan within a month of the |
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incident; and |
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WHEREAS, In addition to earning the Bronze Star with Valor |
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and the Purple Heart, Sergeant McCall was cited by the Department of |
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Defense as a hero; and |
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WHEREAS, A veteran of six deployments to Iraq and |
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Afghanistan, this exemplary Texan embodies the highest ideals of |
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the United States armed forces, and he has earned the lasting |
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respect and gratitude of his fellow Americans; 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 hereby honor Staff Sergeant Austin McCall for his |
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service to the nation and his courage in combat and extend to him |
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sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Sergeant McCall as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |
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Callegari |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 1952 was adopted by the House on May |
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19, 2011, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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