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H. 5204

STATUS INFORMATION

House Resolution
Sponsors: Reps. J.E. Smith, Harrell, Agnew, Alexander, Allen, Anderson, Anthony, Bales, Ballentine, Bannister, Barfield, Battle, Bedingfield, Bingham, Bowen, Bowers, Brady, Branham, Brantley, Breeland, G. Brown, R. Brown, Cato, Chalk, Clemmons, Clyburn, Cobb-Hunter, Coleman, Cooper, Cotty, Crawford, Daning, Dantzler, Davenport, Delleney, Duncan, Edge, Erickson, Frye, Funderburk, Gambrell, Govan, Gullick, Hagood, Haley, Hamilton, Hardwick, Harrison, Hart, Harvin, Haskins, Hayes, Herbkersman, Hiott, Hodges, Hosey, Howard, Huggins, Hutson, Jefferson, Jennings, Kelly, Kennedy, Kirsh, Knight, Leach, Limehouse, Littlejohn, Loftis, Lowe, Lucas, Mack, Mahaffey, McLeod, Merrill, Miller, Mitchell, Moody-Lawrence, Moss, Mulvaney, J.H. Neal, J.M. Neal, Neilson, Ott, Owens, Parks, Perry, Phillips, Pinson, E.H. Pitts, M.A. Pitts, Rice, Rutherford, Sandifer, Scarborough, Scott, Sellers, Shoopman, Simrill, Skelton, D.C. Smith, F.N. Smith, G.M. Smith, G.R. Smith, J.R. Smith, W.D. Smith, Spires, Stavrinakis, Stewart, Talley, Taylor, Thompson, Toole, Umphlett, Vick, Viers, Walker, Weeks, Whipper, White, Whitmire, Williams, Witherspoon and Young
Document Path: l:\council\bills\gm\24275ac08.doc
Companion/Similar bill(s): 1438

Introduced in the House on May 27, 2008
Adopted by the House on May 27, 2008

Summary: 218th Bridgade of the South Carolina National Guard

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
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   5/27/2008  House   Introduced and adopted HJ-4

View the latest legislative information at the LPITS web site

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

5/27/2008

TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR THE RETURNING MEMBERS OF THE 218TH BRIGADE OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA NATIONAL GUARD FOR THEIR SERVICE AND FOR THEIR MANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND HONORS IN AFGHANISTAN, AND TO WELCOME THEM HOME TO SOUTH CAROLINA.

Whereas, the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives take great pride in the men and women of the 218th Brigade of the South Carolina National Guard and in their service to our nation in Afghanistan, and are pleased to welcome them home; and

Whereas, in what was the largest single deployment in the history of the South Carolina National Guard since World War II, some one thousand six hundred soldiers of the 218th Brigade served from February 2007 until their recent return; and

Whereas, the brigade's highly decorated leader, Brigadier General Robert E. Livingston, Jr., a Bronze Star Medal recipient, in civilian life is president, chief executive officer, and owner of Gregory Electric Company. General Livingston holds several degrees including a master's degree in electrical engineering from Georgia Tech and used his civilian expertise to great effect in leading his troops during this difficult mission; and

Whereas, units of the 218th Brigade deployed from cities across South Carolina as part of a five-year multinational effort designed to keep Afghanistan on the road to recovery following the overthrow of the Taliban regime after the September 11 terrorists attacks on American soil; and

Whereas, the 218th Brigade was charged with training and mentoring the sixty-thousand-man Afghan National Army and the eighty-thousand-man Afghan National Police, which two bodies comprise the Afghan National Security Forces; and

Whereas, the 218th Brigade provided the command element, most of the support element, and some of the mentors for the Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF) Phoenix VI; and

Whereas, the CJTF Phoenix VI coordinates the efforts of almost five thousand soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines along with a one-thousand-soldier military coalition from twenty-two countries, almost two thousand contract civilian mentors and trainers, and one thousand local interpreters; and

Whereas, because of the success of the 218th Brigade in training the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), the Taliban suffered a significant propaganda defeat at the hands of their own countrymen, and the ANSF achieved the tactical superiority; and

Whereas, this work came at a steep price to American soldiers from South Carolina, as three soldiers paid the ultimate sacrifice and did not return with their brigade; and

Whereas, some ninety soldiers from the 218th Brigade volunteered to stay in Afghanistan to serve with the National Guard brigade from New York which is taking the place of the 218th, and another two dozen soldiers have volunteered to go to Iraq to serve with a unit from Arkansas; and

Whereas, the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives are profoundly grateful for the sacrifice of the soldiers in the South Carolina National Guard 218th Brigade and wish them a successful transition and return to their lives in South Carolina. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:

That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, recognize and honor the returning members of the 218th Brigade of the South Carolina National Guard for their service and for their many accomplishments and honors in Afghanistan, and welcome them home to South Carolina.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to Brigadier General Robert E. Livingston, Jr., Commander of the 218th Brigade of the South Carolina National Guard, and Adjutant General Stan Spears, South Carolina Adjutant General.

This web page was last updated on Wednesday, December 2, 2009 at 3:49 P.M.