Bill Text: TX SR13 | 2013 | 83rd Legislature 3rd Special Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Recognizing the 217th Training Squadron of the Texas Air National Guard.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2013-08-05 - Reported enrolled [SR13 Detail]
Download: Texas-2013-SR13-Enrolled.html
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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 | ||
________________________________ | ||
President of the Senate | ||
I hereby certify that the | ||
above Resolution was adopted by | ||
the Senate on August 5, 2013. | ||
________________________________ | ||
Secretary of the Senate | ||
________________________________ | ||
Member, Texas Senate |