BILL NUMBER: ACR 108 CHAPTERED
BILL TEXT
RESOLUTION CHAPTER 14
FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE MARCH 17, 2016
ADOPTED IN SENATE MARCH 3, 2016
ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 10, 2016
AMENDED IN SENATE FEBRUARY 23, 2016
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JANUARY 19, 2016
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Mathis
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Achadjian, Alejo, Travis Allen,
Atkins, Baker, Bigelow, Bloom, Bonta, Brough, Brown, Burke, Calderon,
Campos, Chang, Chau, Chávez, Chiu, Chu, Cooley, Cooper, Dahle, Daly,
Dodd, Eggman, Frazier, Gallagher, Cristina Garcia, Eduardo Garcia,
Gatto, Gipson, Gomez, Gonzalez, Gordon, Gray, Grove, Hadley, Harper,
Roger Hernández, Holden, Irwin, Jones, Kim, Lackey, Levine, Linder,
Lopez, Low, Maienschein, Mayes, McCarty, Medina, Melendez, Mullin,
Nazarian, Obernolte, O'Donnell, Patterson, Quirk, Rendon, Rodriguez,
Salas, Santiago, Steinorth, Mark Stone, Thurmond, Ting, Wagner,
Waldron, Weber, Wilk, Williams, and Wood)
(Coauthors: Senators Bates, Block, Liu, Vidak, and Wieckowski)
JANUARY 4, 2016
Relative to Women's Military History Week.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
ACR 108, Mathis. Women's Military History Week.
This measure would recognize "Women Warriors" by proclaiming the
week of March 14, 2016, to March 20, 2016, inclusive, as Women's
Military History Week in California and would encourage Californians
to recognize, among other things, the contributions of women to our
military and our freedom and the historic lifting of the ban on women
in combat on January 24, 2013.
WHEREAS, January 24, 2016, marks the third anniversary of the
lifting of the ban on women in combat; and
WHEREAS, This groundbreaking decision overturns a 1994 Pentagon
rule that restricted women from artillery, armor, and infantry, among
other combat roles, even though in reality women have frequently
found themselves in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. According to the
Pentagon, hundreds of thousands of women have been deployed in those
conflicts; and
WHEREAS, Former United States Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta
initiated the lifting of the ban on women in combat in 2013. On
December 3, 2015, current United States Secretary of Defense Ashton
Carter directed the full integration of women into all military
branches; and
WHEREAS, Over the past two decades of conflict, women have served
with valor in combat zones, often under fire, but had been prevented
from officially holding combat positions under the 1994 Direct Ground
Combat Definition and Assignment Rule, which generally barred women
from assignment to units below brigade level when the unit's primary
mission was direct ground combat; and
WHEREAS, Approximately 300,000 women in uniform have served in the
wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Female service members have earned
more than 10,000 combat action badges and Bronze Stars, respectively,
and at least 12 Bronze Stars with Valor. Women have served in
intelligence gathering, as combat pilots, field artillery officers,
chaplains, special operations civil affairs officers, and even
members of the ultra-secretive Delta Force; and
WHEREAS, Women have served bravely in every major United States
conflict since the American Revolutionary War. Our current
servicewomen are able to serve due to the incredible work of women of
past generations; and
WHEREAS, As stated by then-Secretary of Defense Panetta, "Women
have shown great courage and sacrifice on and off the battlefield,
contributed in unprecedented ways to the military's mission, and
proven their ability to serve in an expanding number of roles."
Panetta added, " R]escinding the 1994 ban on women in combat] is
to ensure that the mission is met with the best qualified and most
capable people, regardless of gender"; and
WHEREAS, Since the lifting of the ban, three women have already
made history by being the first to graduate from the United States
Army Ranger School, the Army's premier combat leadership course,
proving to themselves and to the world that women can meet men's
standard for combat; and
WHEREAS, As a country based on freedom and opportunity, regardless
of creed, race, gender, or sexual orientation, we must demonstrate
the same opportunity in our armed forces, while maintaining the same
standard of excellence our military has set; and
WHEREAS, Our military exists to fight our nation's wars and to
defend our Constitution and our freedom. Opening up combat roles to
women will add to military excellence, not subtract from it; now,
therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby recognizes "Women
Warriors" by proclaiming the week of March 14, 2016, to March 20,
2016, inclusive, as Women's Military History Week in California; and
be it further
Resolved, That the Legislature encourages Californians to
recognize the contributions of women to our military and our freedom,
the courageous sacrifices that women have made while serving our
country with heroism, and the historic lifting of the ban on women in
combat on January 24, 2013; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.