HR0294 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0294 LRB101 12078 MST 59582 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Major General Richard J. Hayes Jr. on his illustrious career and years of service to the State of Illinois and his country; and

WHEREAS, Major General Hayes served as the 39th Adjutant General of the State of Illinois from June 8, 2015 until February 7, 2019; and

WHEREAS, Major General Hayes was responsible for the operations of the Illinois National Guard and oversaw approximately 13,000 men and women in uniform; and

WHEREAS, Major General Hayes was responsible for the Illinois National Guard's readiness, in order to protect our State, defend our nation, and fight our nation's wars when called upon; and

WHEREAS, Major General Hayes oversaw a partnership program with the United States and the Polish Armed Forces through the National Guard's State Partnership program; and

WHEREAS, Major General Hayes served for 33 years in the U.S. Army and the National Guard; and

WHEREAS, After joining the Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of Kansas, Major General Hayes began his career in 1987 when he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Kansas Army National Guard's Second Battalion, 127th Field Artillery Regiment as a Field Artillery Officer; and

WHEREAS, Major General Hayes has been deployed in the U.S. and abroad; and

WHEREAS, Major General Hayes was deployed to New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to help with the rebuilding efforts; and

WHEREAS, Major General Hayes was deployed to Kosovo as a Deputy Commander as part of a NATO task force to oversee Kosovo's independence from Serbia; and

WHEREAS, Major General Hayes participated in joint exercises and deployments with the Armed Forces of Poland, Ukraine, Greece, Romania, Lithuania, Germany, Singapore, and Japan; and

WHEREAS, Major General Hayes holds a bachelor's degree in geography from the University of Kansas, a master's degree in business administration from Touro University International, and a master's degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College; and

WHEREAS, After spending years as an executive in the engineering and construction field working for Fortune 500 companies, Major General Hayes left the private sector in 2013 to serve as Assistant Adjutant General for the Illinois Army National Guard and Director of the Joint Staff; and

WHEREAS, In 2015, Major General Hayes was selected by Governor Rauner to serve as the Adjutant General of the Illinois National Guard; and

WHEREAS, Under Major General Hayes, the Illinois National Guard led all states and territories in financial accountability, established a long list of units receiving "most ready" classifications, achieved the Army Guard highest medical readiness in the nation, hosted a visit by the President of Poland, and excelled in providing military funerals and honors, doing so 4,327 times in 2018; and

WHEREAS, Major General Hayes has received numerous awards and honors for his military service, including the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Kosovo Campaign Medal, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Non-Article 5 Medal, the Commander's Cross, and the Star of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Major General Richard J. Hayes Jr. on his retirement from the United States Army and thank him for his many years of service to the State of Illinois and United States of America; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy this resolution be presented to Major General Hayes as a symbol of our respect and esteem.