Bill Text: TX HR2054 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commemorating Armed Forces Day on May 20, 2023.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2023-05-30 - Reported enrolled [HR2054 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HR2054-Enrolled.html
| H.R. No. 2054 | ||
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| WHEREAS, The dedicated service and immeasurable sacrifice of | ||
| our nation's military personnel are being recognized on May 20, | ||
| 2023, as Americans observe this country's annual Armed Forces Day; | ||
| and | ||
| WHEREAS, Before 1950, separate days had been set aside to | ||
| honor the branches of the armed forces individually; the | ||
| establishment of a single observance followed the combining in 1947 | ||
| of the Departments of War and Navy into one entity, the National | ||
| Military Establishment, which two years later became known as the | ||
| Department of Defense; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Members of the U.S. Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, | ||
| Coast Guard, and Space Force are justly proud of the heroic deeds | ||
| forged by those branches and by their ongoing contributions to | ||
| maintain the security and liberty of American citizens both at home | ||
| and abroad; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The U.S. Army was established on June 14, 1775, when | ||
| the Second Continental Congress authorized the formation of 10 | ||
| companies of riflemen; from the American Revolution to operations | ||
| in Afghanistan and Iraq, the army has furnished the majority of | ||
| American ground troops when the country has taken up arms; today, | ||
| this service is composed of a number of branches, including | ||
| Infantry, Military Intelligence, Aviation, the Corps of Engineers, | ||
| and Special Forces, and such specialized branches as the Army | ||
| Medical Department Corps, Chaplain Corps, and Judge Advocate | ||
| General's Corps; and | ||
| WHEREAS, On October 13, 1775, the Second Continental Congress | ||
| called for the fitting out of two warships, thereby founding the | ||
| Continental Navy; although disbanded following the conclusion of | ||
| the Revolutionary War, this service was reestablished with the | ||
| creation of the Department of the Navy on April 30, 1798, and today, | ||
| naval personnel ensure the defense of the nation by sea and by air | ||
| and give seaborne support to the other military forces; and | ||
| WHEREAS, A month after authorizing the procurement and | ||
| dispatching of the navy's first ships, the Continental Congress | ||
| passed a resolution, on November 10, 1775, calling for the raising | ||
| of two marine battalions; the Marine Corps disbanded, like the | ||
| navy, following the War of Independence, but it was reestablished | ||
| on July 11, 1798; today, the Marine Corps conducts military | ||
| operations on land, air, and sea, following faithfully in the | ||
| footsteps of those who so valiantly fought and died in Belleau Wood | ||
| and Afghanistan; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The U.S. Air Force, which became a separate branch | ||
| within the Department of Defense on September 18, 1947, had its | ||
| genesis in the 1907 creation of an aeronautical division within the | ||
| U.S. Army Signal Corps; military aviation subsequently achieved | ||
| widespread recognition during World War I, when planes proved their | ||
| effectiveness in reconnaissance and bombing missions, and air power | ||
| became a crucial factor in World War II, during which time the U.S. | ||
| Army Air Forces emerged as the most powerful air force in the world; | ||
| today's air force defends the country in the realms of air, space, | ||
| and cyberspace; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Now part of the Department of Homeland Security, the | ||
| U.S. Coast Guard has assumed many duties throughout its history, | ||
| from protecting against pirates to intercepting contraband, | ||
| conducting search and rescue operations, responding to oil spills, | ||
| and licensing and certifying all U.S. maritime personnel; its | ||
| wide-ranging wartime service has included escort and patrol duty | ||
| and assisting amphibious landings; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The U.S. Space Force was established on December 20, | ||
| 2019, when the National Defense Authorization Act was signed into | ||
| law, thereby creating the first new branch of the armed services in | ||
| 73 years; composed of the three field components of the Space | ||
| Operations Command, the Space Systems Command, and the Space | ||
| Training and Readiness Command, the space force trains and equips | ||
| its service members, called Guardians, to conduct global space | ||
| operations in a number of areas; chief among them is the critical | ||
| infrastructure that is increasingly dependent on satellites for | ||
| communication, navigation, meteorology, and intelligence; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Together with members of the reserve forces, the | ||
| Army National Guard, and the Air National Guard, America's | ||
| active-duty servicemen and servicewomen are committed to | ||
| maintaining the nation's security and are prepared to do their | ||
| utmost in defense of their country and the cause of freedom; now, | ||
| therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas | ||
| Legislature hereby recognize May 20, 2023, as Armed Forces Day and | ||
| extend to all members of the nation's military profound | ||
| appreciation for their steadfast and courageous efforts in our | ||
| country's behalf. | ||
| Price | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Speaker of the House | ||
| I certify that H.R. No. 2054 was adopted by the House on May | ||
| 29, 2023, by a non-record vote. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
