HR1008 LRB093 22224 KEF 51150 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, Camp Lincoln and the Springfield Air National
3 Guard Base are valuable assets to the Springfield area and
4 provide critical support to the Illinois National Guard, the
5 United States Armed Forces, the Department of Defense, and our
6 allies; and
 
7     WHEREAS, Camp Lincoln contains the Illinois National Guard
8 State Headquarters, the Illinois Department of Military
9 Affairs, and the 129th Regiment Regional Training Institute,
10 with a mission to train current and future leaders in those
11 skills and traits necessary to meet United States Army
12 standards; and
 
13     WHEREAS, The Illinois National Guard conducts an annual
14 youth camp at Camp Lincoln for children of Illinois National
15 Guard members and Department of Defense employees; and
 
16     WHEREAS, Located at Capital Airport, the Springfield Air
17 National Guard Base is home to the 183rd Fighter Wing, which
18 provides combat ready aircraft, pilots, and support personnel
19 capable of global deployment to perform tactical, general
20 purpose warfare as directed by major command authority; and
 
21     WHEREAS, The Air National Guard Base in Springfield
22 contributes nearly $60 million to the local economy and employs
23 330 full-time and 1,140 part-time workers; and
 
24     WHEREAS, The Springfield Air National Guard Base is
25 continuously expanding to become more efficient and is
26 currently constructing a 45,000 square-foot, $10 million
27 building to house an auditorium, dining hall, medical clinic,
28 chaplains' office, and support services for troops; and
 
29     WHEREAS, Springfield is an ideal location for 183rd Fighter

 

 

HR1008 - 2 - LRB093 22224 KEF 51150 r

1 Wing to provide homeland defense and back-up for protecting
2 aircraft from Chicago to St. Louis, Kansas City and
3 Indianapolis; and
 
4     WHEREAS, The United States Department of Defense is in the
5 process of selecting military bases for the 2005 round of Base
6 Realignment and Closure (BRAC) in order to eliminate a 25
7 percent excess capacity in armed services facilities; and
 
8     WHEREAS, Armed forces and National Guard facilities in
9 Illinois that provide invaluable economic and employment
10 opportunities to the State and serve an important role in
11 military operations have been targeted for closure; therefore,
12 be it
 
13     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
14 NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
15 urge the Department of Defense, members of Congress, and the
16 President of the United States to realize the significance of
17 the National Guard bases in Springfield and ensure that these
18 facilities are not included in the 2005 BRAC selection; and be
19 it further
 
20     RESOLVED, That we urge the Illinois Congressional
21 delegation to make the effort of saving Camp Lincoln and the
22 Springfield Air National Guard Base a priority; and be it
23 further
 
24     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
25 delivered to the Secretary of Defense, the President of the
26 United States, and each member of the Illinois Congressional
27 delegation