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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The men and women of Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene |
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are celebrating the completion of their fleet of C-130J Super |
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Hercules aircraft with the delivery of the final airplane on July |
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25, 2013; and |
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WHEREAS, The C-130 military transport aircraft is the |
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versatile workhorse of the American military, capable of landing |
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and taking off on unprepared runways; first put into service in |
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1957, generations of these airplanes have since been deployed |
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around the world transporting troops and cargo to combat zones, |
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evacuating the wounded, delivering medical supplies and food during |
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natural disasters, fighting wildfires, and performing search and |
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rescue operations, among other tasks; and |
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WHEREAS, On February 8, 1961, the 64th Troop Carrier Wing was |
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activated at Dyess Air Force Base, initiating a half-century |
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tradition of providing support to America's defenders all around |
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the globe; early versions of the C-130 from the base responded to |
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the Cuban Missile Crisis and delivered supplies to Distant Early |
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Warning radar sites in the Arctic; later models of the plane from |
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Dyess have flown missions under fire to Vietnam, Grenada, and |
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Bosnia; and |
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WHEREAS, Over the years, the torch has been passed to the |
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516th Tactical Airlift Wing, the 463rd Airlift Wing, the 7th Wing, |
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and, most recently, the 317th Airlift Group; more than 17,000 |
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aircrew and maintenance personnel have kept the planes flying over |
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the years, and between December 2003 and March 2013, Dyess C-130s |
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were deployed for 3,378 consecutive days in support of operations |
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in Afghanistan and Iraq, flying more than 95,000 hours and 57,000 |
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sorties; and |
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WHEREAS, Dyess personnel and aircraft have also provided |
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invaluable support to many humanitarian missions, supplying famine |
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relief in Mali, delivering cholera vaccine in the Sudan, airlifting |
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refugees to safety in Central America and the Middle East, |
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providing earthquake assistance to Mexico City, Pakistan, and |
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Haiti, fighting forest fires in the Rockies, and responding to |
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Hurricanes Katrina and Rita; and |
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WHEREAS, Since April 2010, the fleet at Dyess has been |
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replaced with the latest model, the C-130J Super Hercules, and the |
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delivery of the 28th and final aircraft represents the moment of |
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"Fleet Complete," not only for the military and civilian personnel |
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at Dyess, but also for the leaders and citizens of Abilene, who have |
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steadfastly supported the base's airmen and airwomen and their |
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families over the years; and |
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WHEREAS, For 52 years, Dyess Air Force Base and its C-130s |
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have played a key role in the nation's defense and provided aid and |
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comfort to countless people in need, and the receipt of the base's |
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full complement represents a fitting opportunity to celebrate this |
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legendary aircraft and the men and women who keep it flying; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 83rd Legislature of the State of Texas, |
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2nd Called Session, hereby commemorate the delivery of the final |
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C-130J Super Hercules to Dyess Air Force Base and extend to the |
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base's personnel and supporters sincere best wishes for the future; |
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and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Dyess Air Force Base as an expression of high regard by |
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the Texas House of Representatives and Senate. |