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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Texas State Guard Day is taking place at the State |
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Capitol on April 4, 2023, providing a welcome opportunity to honor |
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the members and leadership of this distinguished branch of the |
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state's military forces; and |
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WHEREAS, The first colonial militia was established in Texas |
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in 1823, when the area was still part of Mexico; after Texans won |
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their independence and subsequently became part of the United |
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States, the various militias across Texas were consolidated in 1871 |
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as the State Guard, which was replaced in 1903 by the Texas Army |
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National Guard; in 1940, the creation of local military units was |
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authorized by the U.S. Congress whenever the National Guard was |
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deployed for federal service, and on February 10, 1941, the Texas |
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Legislature created the Texas State Guard, which quickly grew to |
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include almost 17,500 officers and enlisted personnel organized |
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into 50 battalions; in 1948, the legislature activated the Texas |
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State Guard Reserve Corps, which continued until the Texas State |
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Guard was reauthorized in 1965; and |
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WHEREAS, One of the three branches of the Texas Military |
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Department, the Texas State Guard is headquartered at Camp Mabry in |
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Austin; over the years, the duties of this mission-ready military |
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force have included providing security for the state's |
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infrastructure during World War II, maintaining order after civil |
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unrest, and conducting recovery efforts after such catastrophic |
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events as the explosion of a freighter in Texas City in 1947 and the |
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loss of the space shuttle Columbia in 2003; since 2005, the guard's |
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deployments have included responding to Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, |
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Ike, and Harvey as well as the COVID-19 pandemic; moreover, the |
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guard has participated in the long-term border missions of |
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Operation Border Star and Operation Drawbridge, and it has also |
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taken part in such public service efforts as Operation Lone Star, |
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which provides critical medical care to underserved populations in |
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South Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, For more than eight decades, the men and women of the |
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Texas State Guard have lived up to their motto, "Equal to the Task," |
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by standing ready to aid and protect their fellow citizens, and |
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their remarkable record of courageous and dedicated service is |
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truly worthy of celebration; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize April 4, 2023, as Texas State Guard |
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Day at the State Capitol and extend to all those in attendance |
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sincere best wishes for a memorable and meaningful experience; and, |
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be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for the Texas State Guard as an expression of high regard |
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by the Texas House of Representatives. |