HR0935 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0935 LRB101 22951 MST 74052 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to commend Thomas Butler on a lifetime of service; and

WHEREAS, Thomas Butler was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on December 17, 1964; in 1983, he graduated from Barrington High School and enlisted in the U. S. Marine Corps; following the footsteps of his father James Butler, he served as a proud U.S. Marine and was in one of the first units to land in Saudi Arabia for Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm; while serving in the Marines, he obtained his associate's degree in political science; he was honorably discharged in 1993; and

WHEREAS, Thomas Butler began working for a hotel and casino chain as a security officer; in 1994, he attended the ALETA Police Academy in Tucson, Arizona and served in law enforcement for approximately seven years in Mohave County, Arizona; and

WHEREAS, Thomas Butler and his family moved to Idaho, and he began working for the sheriff's department in Gem County, Idaho; he also started working for the Albertson's grocery chain, where he became a manager; and

WHEREAS, Thomas Butler joined the Idaho National Guard after the attacks on September 11, 2001 so that he could once again serve his country; he was deployed to Iraq, where he was wounded by an improvised explosive device (IED) while on a foot patrol in Kirkuk; and

WHEREAS, Thomas Butler recovered and obtained his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Management; he become a recruiter for the Army National Guard; and

WHEREAS, Thomas Butler has received a number of awards and citations during his military career, including the Purple Heart (Army Service), the Idaho Cross (Army Service), the Army Commendation Medal (Army Service), the Combat Action Badge (Army Service), the Navy Achievement Medal (Marine Corps Service), the Meritorious Unit Commendation Medal (Army Service), the Meritorious Unit Commendation Medal (Marine Corps Service), two Navy Unit Commendation Medals (Marine Corps Service), the Combat Action Ribbon (Marines Corps Service), four Southwest Asia Service Ribbons (Marine Corps Service and Army Service), the Kuwaiti Liberation Medal awarded by Saudi Arabia (Marine Corps Service), the Kuwaiti Liberation Medal awarded by Kuwait (Marine Corps Service), three Marine Good Conduct Medals, five Army Good Conduct Medals, three Marine Overseas Service Deployment Ribbons, the Army Overseas Service Ribbon, the Volunteer Community Service Medal (Idaho Army National Guard Service), two National Defense Medals (Marine Corps and Army Service), the Iraqi Campaign Medal (Army Service), the Global War Terrorism Medal (Army Service), the Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Army Service), the Army Overseas Service Ribbon, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal (Army Service), the Idaho Service Ribbon (Idaho Army National Guard Service), three Idaho Reenlistment Ribbons (Idaho Army National Guard), two Basic and Advanced Leadership Ribbons (Idaho Army National Guard), 12 Expert Rifle Badges, 15 Expert Pistol Badges, and the Basic, Senior, and Master Badges in Recruiting and Retention; and

WHEREAS, Thomas Butler resides in Emmett, Idaho with his wife; they have six children, and serving their country has become a family affair; five out of his six children are in the National Guard; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we commend Thomas Butler on a lifetime of service; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Thomas Butler as a symbol of our respect and esteem.