HR0294LRB101 12078 MST 59582 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to congratulate Major General Richard J.
4Hayes Jr. on his illustrious career and years of service to the
5State of Illinois and his country; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Major General Hayes served as the 39th Adjutant
7General of the State of Illinois from June 8, 2015 until
8February 7, 2019; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Major General Hayes was responsible for the
10operations of the Illinois National Guard and oversaw
11approximately 13,000 men and women in uniform; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Major General Hayes was responsible for the
13Illinois National Guard's readiness, in order to protect our
14State, defend our nation, and fight our nation's wars when
15called upon; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Major General Hayes oversaw a partnership program
17with the United States and the Polish Armed Forces through the
18National Guard's State Partnership program; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Major General Hayes served for 33 years in the
20U.S. Army and the National Guard; and
 

 

 

HR0294- 2 -LRB101 12078 MST 59582 r

1    WHEREAS, After joining the Reserve Officer Training Corps
2at the University of Kansas, Major General Hayes began his
3career in 1987 when he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in
4the Kansas Army National Guard's Second Battalion, 127th Field
5Artillery Regiment as a Field Artillery Officer; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Major General Hayes has been deployed in the U.S.
7and abroad; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Major General Hayes was deployed to New Orleans in
9the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to help with the rebuilding
10efforts; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Major General Hayes was deployed to Kosovo as a
12Deputy Commander as part of a NATO task force to oversee
13Kosovo's independence from Serbia; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Major General Hayes participated in joint
15exercises and deployments with the Armed Forces of Poland,
16Ukraine, Greece, Romania, Lithuania, Germany, Singapore, and
17Japan; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Major General Hayes holds a bachelor's degree in
19geography from the University of Kansas, a master's degree in
20business administration from Touro University International,

 

 

HR0294- 3 -LRB101 12078 MST 59582 r

1and a master's degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army
2War College; and
 
3    WHEREAS, After spending years as an executive in the
4engineering and construction field working for Fortune 500
5companies, Major General Hayes left the private sector in 2013
6to serve as Assistant Adjutant General for the Illinois Army
7National Guard and Director of the Joint Staff; and
 
8    WHEREAS, In 2015, Major General Hayes was selected by
9Governor Rauner to serve as the Adjutant General of the
10Illinois National Guard; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Under Major General Hayes, the Illinois National
12Guard led all states and territories in financial
13accountability, established a long list of units receiving
14"most ready" classifications, achieved the Army Guard highest
15medical readiness in the nation, hosted a visit by the
16President of Poland, and excelled in providing military
17funerals and honors, doing so 4,327 times in 2018; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Major General Hayes has received numerous awards
19and honors for his military service, including the Legion of
20Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, the National Defense
21Service Medal, the Kosovo Campaign Medal, the North Atlantic
22Treaty Organization Non-Article 5 Medal, the Commander's

 

 

HR0294- 4 -LRB101 12078 MST 59582 r

1Cross, and the Star of the Order of Merit of the Republic of
2Poland; therefore, be it
 
3    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
4HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
5we congratulate Major General Richard J. Hayes Jr. on his
6retirement from the United States Army and thank him for his
7many years of service to the State of Illinois and United
8States of America; and be it further
 
9    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy this resolution be presented
10to Major General Hayes as a symbol of our respect and esteem.