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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, through the
3 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission, has made
4 recommendations about which military installations are to be
5 considered for closure or realignment in cost-cutting measures
6 for the military; and
 
7     WHEREAS, The State of Illinois has a distinct and important
8 military installation that is listed for realignment, the
9 Capital Airport Air National Guard Station in Springfield; and
 
10     WHEREAS, Under the U.S. Department of Defense
11 recommendations, the Capital Airport Air National Guard
12 Station in Springfield will suffer a net loss of 163 jobs; and
 
13     WHEREAS, The U.S. Department of Defense recommendations,
14 if adopted, would force the Capital Airport Air National Guard
15 Station in Springfield to eliminate approximately 20% of the
16 approximately 774 job positions currently utilized by this
17 facility; and
 
18     WHEREAS, The Capital Airport Air National Guard Station in
19 Springfield provides combat ready aircraft, pilots, and
20 required support personnel capable of global deployment to
21 perform tactical, general purpose warfare as directed by major
22 command authority; and
 
23     WHEREAS, The Capital Airport Air National Guard Station in
24 Springfield is one of the remaining bases at the center of the
25 continental United States that are perfectly situated for
26 expedient transportation anywhere in the nation; and
 
27     WHEREAS, The Capital Airport Air National Guard Station in
28 Springfield is a fully capable, active-duty military airfield
29 in the central United States and is indispensable in both our

 

 

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1 current and future efforts to counter threats to our security;
2 and
 
3     WHEREAS, The Capital Airport Air National Guard Station in
4 Springfield has unencumbered airspace for training and
5 exercise missions and has plenty of space for expansion, even
6 for housing other branches of the military; and
 
7     WHEREAS, The Capital Airport Air National Guard Station in
8 Springfield is nearing completion of a $10 million, state of
9 the art headquarters building; and
 
10     WHEREAS, The Army National Guard has begun the process of
11 replacing its current fixed-wing utility fleet with a
12 fixed-wing cargo fleet; and
 
13     WHEREAS, The people of the State of Illinois have long been
14 at the forefront of our Nation's defense, are first to join and
15 send troops in any conflict, and have a strong tradition of
16 support and appreciation for the bases within our borders;
17 therefore, be it
 
18     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
19 NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
20 we take this opportunity to convey our appreciation for the
21 advocacy and support for the Capital Airport Air National Guard
22 Station in Springfield that the Congress of the United States
23 and the Illinois Congressional Delegation have provided over
24 the years, and we strongly urge the Congress of the United
25 States to consider the importance of this installation in this
26 time of war on terrorism and the vital need to protect our
27 Nation; and be it further
 
28     RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
29 transmitted to the President Pro-Tem of the United States
30 Senate, to the Speaker of the United States House of

 

 

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1 Representatives, to each member of the Illinois Congressional
2 Delegation, to each member of the Base Realignment and Closure
3 Commission (BRAC), and to the President of the United States of
4 America.