SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 13

WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to pay tribute to the 217th Training Squadron of the Texas Air National Guard, which is slated for deactivation; and

WHEREAS, The 217th Training Squadron of the Texas Air National Guard, located at Goodfellow Air Force Base, San Angelo, Texas, represented the lone fully qualified operational intelligence analysis capability available to Defense Support of Civil Authorities operations within the State of Texas, and it represented the only Incident Awareness and Assessment imagery analysis capability that was readily available to the governor for man-made or natural events; and

WHEREAS, The 217th Training Squadron attained initial operation capability in 2008, full mission capability in 2009, and federal recognition in 2009; and

WHEREAS, A total of 73 of the most highly qualified and experienced Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance professionals in the total force have been selectively recruited into and have successfully participated in the squadron's current mission, and they represent more than 450 cumulative years of operations experience in their specialty and provide an exceptional quality of instruction; and

WHEREAS, The 50 full-time instructors of the 217th Training Squadron have taught more than 94,400 hours, an average of 50 percent more than their active duty counterparts, and they have directly instructed and mentored more than 15,700 Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance students; and

WHEREAS, Fully 65 percent of the squadron's assigned full-time instructors received Elite Instructor and other similar awards; 25 percent of instructors received local, state, or command Noncommissioned Officer of the Quarter or Year awards, and all instructors rated within the top 10 percent when stratified against active duty counterparts; and

WHEREAS, Six members of the training squadron were recognized as Air Education and Training Command or Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Agency Noncommissioned Officers of the Year, and three members were recognized as Texas Air National Guard Outstanding Airmen of the Year; and

WHEREAS, Members of this outstanding unit worked on a range of missions important to our state and nation, such as serving on the Southwest Border Security mission and providing disaster relief operations during Hurricane Ike, in the course of which they served more than 40,000 meals to people near Galveston Island; and

WHEREAS, The 217th Training Squadron was also instrumental in securing Military Intelligence Programs funding in excess of $1 million to upgrade and renovate areas and functions that most impact training; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 83rd Legislature, 3rd Called Session, hereby commend and proudly honor the men and women of the Texas Air National Guard's 217th Training Squadron for their devotion to duty and dedication to the State of Texas and to their nation; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for the 217th Training Squadron of the Texas Air National Guard as an expression of esteem from the Texas Senate.

Duncan

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President of the Senate

I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on August 5, 2013.

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Secretary of the Senate

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Member, Texas Senate