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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are pleased to honor Sergeant Mark A. Miles of
4 Vandalia as he returns home from his fifth tour of duty in
5 Iraq; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Mark Miles joined the United States Army after his
7 high school graduation in 1996; he received his basic training
8 at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri; while in training he received
9 instruction in drill and ceremonies, weapons, map reading,
10 tactics, military courtesy, military justice, first aid, and
11 army history and traditions; and
 
12     WHEREAS, Mark Miles also completed his Advanced Individual
13 Training as a Combat Engineer; he learned basic construction
14 and rigging operations and how to operate light and heavy
15 engineer wheeled and armor tracked vehicles, he was taught how
16 to assist in assembly and maintenance of military standard
17 float and fixed bridges, prepare and install and prime firing
18 systems for demolition and explosives, and recognize and
19 neutralize landmines, firing devices, and booby traps; and
 
20     WHEREAS, Mark Miles was PCS'ed (Permanent Change of
21 Station) to Fort Hood, Texas after the completion of his
22 training at Fort Leonard Wood; he was sent to Kuwait in 1997 as

 

 

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1 a part of Operation Desert Strike; he returned to Fort Hood
2 after his service in Kuwait and completed additional training
3 before finishing his service in 1999; and
 
4     WHEREAS, After returning to Vandalia, Mark worked at
5 different jobs and made the decision to return to the United
6 States Army in 2003; he was stationed in Germany before his
7 company was deployed to serve in Operation Iraqi Freedom; the
8 Aco 16th Engineers were stationed at Camp Slayer in Baghdad
9 where they conducted route clearance, area security, ordinance
10 disposal, and search and clear missions; and
 
11     WHEREAS, His unit received orders to come home but were
12 turned around in Germany and ordered back to Karbala, Iraq to
13 help against the insurgency; and
 
14     WHEREAS, In their next deployment to Iraq, Sgt. Miles and
15 the Aco 16th Engineers began in Tal Afar, securing the border
16 with Syria, the base, and the city itself; the company was
17 split up after this and sent to places such as Ramadi and Hit
18 in the Al Anbar Province; and
 
19     WHEREAS, Sgt. Miles and his unit did route clearance,
20 dismounted patrols, forward operating base security, escorted
21 the explosive ordinance disposal crew, held recruiting drives
22 for the Iraqi Army and police forces, did road repairs, walled

 

 

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1 the city, and constructed an Iraqi Police station for the city
2 of Hit; and
 
3     WHEREAS, Sergeant Mark Miles is expected to return to his
4 home in Vandalia at the end of April 2007; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Sergeant Miles has served five tour of duty in
6 Iraq and is looking forward to coming home to spend time with
7 his friends, and his family, including his parents, Bob and
8 Alice Miles and his sister, Jamie; therefore, be it
 
9     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
10 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
11 thank Sergeant Mark Miles for his dedication to our country and
12 his time of service; we wish him nothing but the best and
13 continued success in his future; and be it further
 
14     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
15 presented to United States Army Sergeant Mark A. Miles as a
16 symbol of our respect.