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SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 265
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WHEREAS, Distinguished representatives from the Ellington |
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Field Joint Reserve Base are visiting the State Capitol on |
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February 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 |
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served as the training base for thousands of pilots, navigators, |
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and 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 the National Aeronautics and |
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Space Administration; 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 United States Department of Defense and United States |
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Department of Homeland Security military services, as well as |
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those of interagency missions and the NASA Johnson Space Center |
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Aviation Department; equipped with state-of-the-art training |
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technology, it readies for deployment Army, Navy, and Marine |
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Reserve units, along with Army and Air National Guard personnel; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, The Ellington Field base protects the only region |
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in the country that holds all 17 national asset categories |
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identified by the United States Department of Homeland Security |
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as prime potential targets for global terrorism; moreover, it is |
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home to the 147th Reconnaissance Wing Mission, whose transition |
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from F-16s to unmanned aerial systems reflects a trend that is |
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transforming the United States Air Force and Air Guard; and |
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WHEREAS, Since 2008, the number of active, reserve, and |
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guard troops stationed at Ellington Field has increased from |
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1,500 to more than 6,000; the base is in the midst of a $100 |
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million expansion, its largest in more than three decades; |
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additions include a second Armed Forces Reserve Center and a |
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40,000-square-foot Battle Command Training Center, and a new |
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Coast Guard headquarters facility is scheduled for completion in |
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2012; 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 |
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of our state and our nation; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 82nd |
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Legislature, hereby recognize February 16, 2011, as Ellington |
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Field Day at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting |
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delegation best wishes for a memorable and productive day in |
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Austin. |
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Jackson, Van de Putte |
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________________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
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I hereby certify that the |
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above Resolution was adopted by |
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the Senate on February 15, 2011. |
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________________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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________________________________ |
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Member, Texas Senate |
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________________________________ |
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Member, Texas Senate |