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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to applaud the commissioning of the United
4States Navy's newest nuclear-powered submarine, the USS
5Illinois, and congratulate Commander Jesse Porter and his
6crewmembers on their appointment to the ship; and
 
7    WHEREAS, The USS Illinois (SSN-786), the 13th vessel of the
8Virginia Class, will be the first vessel in the United States
9Navy's fleet to be christened with the name of our Prairie
10State since 1897; and
 
11    WHEREAS, The USS Illinois is currently under construction
12in the Electric Boat shipyard in Groton, Connecticut; it is
13scheduled to be fully operational and commissioned by December
14of 2015; and
 
15    WHEREAS, The USS Illinois is 377 feet long, with a 34-foot
16beam and a 32-foot draft; it is built to sustain dives of more
17than 800 feet below the surface and will be armed to engage in
18both near-shore and deep-water missions and operations; and
 
19    WHEREAS, The submariner crew of the USS Illinois is led by
20Commander Jesse Porter, a native of Pocatello, Idaho; Commander
21Porter began his service in the Navy as an Electrician's Mate

 

 

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1and has since then become a most distinguished member of the
2United States Navy; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Commander Porter is a distinguished graduate of
4the Air Force Command and Staff College; he has obtained
5master's degrees in National Security and Strategic Studies and
6Engineering Management from the Naval War College and Old
7Dominion University, respectively; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Commander Porter has an extensive list of merits,
9including the Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy and Marine
10Corps Commendation Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement
11Medal, and various other unit, personal, and campaign awards;
12and
 
13    WHEREAS, On this voyage, Commander Porter will be leading
14139 other brave shipmen on the USS Illinois, including the
15ship's Executive Officer, Lieutenant Commander Joshua Hoops,
16the ship's Chief of the Boat, Master Chief David DiPietro, 20
17commissioned officers, 18 chief petty officers, and 99 other
18enlisted submariners; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Submariners are required to meet rigorous
20standards in order to be demonstrably ready to face the
21grueling task of living life under the sea; these valiant
22individuals will be working 8-hour shifts, 7 days a week, for

 

 

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1deployment periods of 6 to 7 months out at sea; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Those aboard the USS Illinois will not only be
3carrying the name of our State across the vast and open seas,
4they will be upholding and protecting the American principles
5that we hold dear here at home; therefore, be it
 
6    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
7NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
8recognize the commissioning of the USS Illinois, applaud the
9captain and crew for their honorable appointment to the USS
10Illinois, and wish them a safe and felicitous journey; and be
11it further
 
12    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
13presented to Commander Jesse Porter and the crew of the USS
14Illinois as an expression of our sincere appreciation for their
15service.