Bill Text: PA SR271 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Commemorating the 255th anniversary of Pennsylvania's first militia law and designating March 16, 2010, as "National Guard Day" in Pennsylvania.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Passed) 2010-03-17 - Transmitted as directed [SR271 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2009-SR271-Introduced.html

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PRINTER'S NO. 1780
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No. 271 Session of2010
INTRODUCED BY BAKER, SCARNATI, PILEGGI, FARNESE, ALLOWAY, ARGALL, BOSCOLA, BRUBAKER, COSTA, DINNIMAN, EARLL, ERICKSON, FONTANA, GORDNER, GREENLEAF, HUGHES, KASUNIC, KITCHEN, FOLMER, YAW, WOZNIAK, MENSCH, M. WHITE, D. WHITE, WAUGH, WASHINGTON, LOGAN, MUSTO, O'PAKE, ORIE, PIPPY, RAFFERTY, ROBBINS, STACK, STOUT, TARTAGLIONE, TOMLINSON, VOGEL AND WARD, MARCH 16, 2010
INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, MARCH 16, 2010
A RESOLUTION
Commemorating the 255th anniversary of Pennsylvania's first
militia law and designating March 16, 2010, as "National
Guard Day" in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, In 1747 Benjamin Franklin organized the Associators
in Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, Units of today's Pennsylvania National Guard can
trace their lineage to the original Associators; and
WHEREAS, In 1755 the General Assembly of the Province of
Pennsylvania received a great number of petitions from the
counties of the province "setting forth that the petitioners
were very willing to defend themselves and their country and
desirous of being formed into regular bodies for that purpose,
instructed and disciplined under proper officers with suitable
and legal authority"; and
WHEREAS, Responding to these petitions, the representatives
of the Province of Pennsylvania, meeting in General Assembly,
passed Pennsylvania's first militia law on November 25, 1755;
and
WHEREAS, The militia law, passed "for the better ordering and
regulating such as are willing and desirous to be united for
military purposes within this province," created the volunteer
militia and laid the legal foundation for the militia and the
Pennsylvania National Guard; and
WHEREAS, Enactment of the act of November 25, 1755, marked
the beginning of 255 years of cooperation and support from the
General Assembly for the Pennsylvania militia, the Pennsylvania
National Guard and the soldiers and airmen who proudly serve
this Commonwealth and this nation; and
WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania National Guard, the largest army
national guard in the United States and fourth largest air
national guard in the United States, has experienced historic
mobilization and deployment rates and has provided volunteers to
critical missions around the world; and
WHEREAS, In war and in peace, Pennsylvania National Guard
units have taken part in every conflict America has faced, from
the Revolutionary War through Operation Iraqi Freedom, as well
as ongoing peacekeeping missions around the globe; and
WHEREAS, Since September 11, 2001, thousands of this
Commonwealth's soldiers and airmen have deployed in support of
the Global War on Terror; and
WHEREAS, In times of national disaster, the Pennsylvania
National Guard responds to floods, blizzards and other domestic
emergencies, including Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, when
Commonwealth soldiers and airmen were deployed to the Gulf Coast
within a few days of the storms to provide communications,
humanitarian assistance and force protection; and
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WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania National Guard is one of this
Commonwealth's top ten employers with hundreds of civilian
employees and thousands of National Guard members in communities
across this Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, The continued support of the General Assembly has
been, and is today, critical to the success of the Pennsylvania
National Guard; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate celebrate Pennsylvania's first
militia law and designate March 16, 2010, as "National Guard
Day" in Pennsylvania; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Senate ask all Pennsylvanians to recognize
the Pennsylvania National Guard and the service of generations
of soldiers and airmen with the utmost gratitude; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to
the Governor and to the Adjutant General.
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