46th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2003

PROCLAIMING JANUARY 28, 2003 AS "NEW MEXICO NATIONAL GUARD DAY" IN THE LEGISLATURE.

WHEREAS, the New Mexico national guard has its historical antecedents in, and traces its lineage from, the citizen-soldier ethos of the earliest Native American inhabitants and, later, the Spanish colonial militia under Don Juan de Onate, the territorial militia and the New Mexico volunteers; and

WHEREAS, the New Mexico national guard has fulfilled its constitutional and statutory duty of military service to the nation in the past and in the present, including participation in the Spanish American War with the "rough riders" and the punitive raids into Mexico in response to armed attack by bandits at Columbus, New Mexico; and

WHEREAS, the national guard has courageously responded when called to arms, including the deployment of New Mexico's first regiment of infantry and battery of field artillery to Belgium and France during World War I; the deployment of army national guard units during World War II to the Philippine Islands, where they earned lasting fame and were affectionately known as the "battling bastards of Bataan"; and the deployment of the eight hundred fourth tank destroyer battalion in the Italian theater campaign; and

WHEREAS, the New Mexico air national guard served in Korea and in Vietnam, including aerial combat in "MIG Alley", and were known to friend and foe alike as the "TACOS"; and

WHEREAS, New Mexico army and air national guard units were deployed to the Persian Gulf during "operation desert shield" and "operation desert storm", and the New Mexico air national guard one hundred fiftieth fighter wing was deployed to the skies over Turkey and Iraq in "operation northern watch"; and

WHEREAS, the New Mexico air national guard's one hundred fiftieth fighter wing served in "operation noble eagle", guarding the skies over our homeland; the army national guard's sixty-fourth CST WMD unit was deployed to Salt Lake City, Utah, to support the world olympics; the army national guard's seven hundred seventeenth medical company served in Kosovo in 2001 and 2002; and the one hundred fiftieth security force squadron served in various overseas and continental United States locations in support of "operation enduring freedom" and in "operation noble eagle" in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States; and

WHEREAS, the New Mexico national guard has also fulfilled its obligations to readiness and response to state emergencies and call-ups, including an immediate, dedicated and professional reaction to the Cerro Grande and Scott Able fires in 2000; and

WHEREAS, the New Mexico national guard promptly responded to the governor's call-up pursuant to the president's request that national guard troops be placed at airports throughout the country; and

WHEREAS, the New Mexico national guard continues to support the people of New Mexico with search and rescue missions; and

WHEREAS, the New Mexico national guard continues to strengthen and defend New Mexico's communities by standing watch against terrorism and weapons of mass destruction; by supporting law enforcement agencies, schools and community-based organizations as they strive against the threat of illicit drug trafficking and use; and by assisting the United States border patrol along our international border with Mexico by participating in the innovative readiness training program; and

WHEREAS, the national guard fosters future generations by helping high school dropouts turn their lives around through the youth challenge program; by establishing distance learning centers throughout the state; and by endowing our youth with an ethic of public service and empowering them for future success through leadership training, technical education and hands-on experience; and

WHEREAS, the New Mexico national guard has bridged eras, from the days of the state's earliest settlement to the twenty-first century, and has adapted to their changes, from the relative simplicity of the mounted horse cavalry era to the complexity of the space age, through the tradition of selfless service and sacrifice of the citizen soldier, ready to answer the call of duty;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that, in recognition of the constant dedication and service of the New Mexico national guard to the state of New Mexico, January 28, 2003 be designated as "New Mexico National Guard Day" at the legislature; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be transmitted to the adjutant general of the department of military affairs.