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TO CELEBRATE APRIL 23, 2013, THE 105TH BIRTHDAY OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY RESERVE, TO HONOR THE COMMITMENT, DEDICATION, AND SERVICE TO AMERICA OF UNITED STATES ARMY RESERVISTS, AND TO OFFER CONTINUING SUPPORT TO OUR SOLDIERS.
Whereas, in 1908, the nation's leaders realized that the most current medical experience resided in the civilian sector, and they created the first reservoir of trained officers in a reserve status, known as the Medical Reserve Corps; and
Whereas, today over twenty percent of the Army's assets lie within the Army Reserve, including almost four thousand active Army Reservists throughout South Carolina, participating in 115 Army Reserve units with an annual payroll of almost $122 million; and
Whereas, the State of South Carolina boasts five Army Reserve units that meet at Fort Jackson, two in North Charleston, and one each in Aiken, Columbia, Florence, Greenville, Greenwood, Myrtle Beach, Orangeburg, Spartanburg, Sumter, and York; and
Whereas, in 1916, Congress passed the National Defense Act, which created the Officers' Reserve Corps, the Enlisted Reserve Corps, and the Reserve Officers' Training Corps, later named the Organized Reserve Corps (ORC), all forerunners of the present Army Reserve; and
Whereas, in both World Wars, Army Reserve Soldiers answered the call of duty. In World War I, 89,500 reserve officers were mobilized, and during World War II, 200,000 members of the ORC participated, with reserve officers providing twenty-nine percent of the Army's officers; and
Whereas, in 1952, legislation renamed the ORC as the Army Reserve and then divided it into three reserves: a Ready Reserve, a Standby Reserve, and a Retired Reserve. Legislation also provided that reserve units have twenty-four battle-drill assemblies and up to seventeen days of annual training; and
Whereas, the Army Reserve has been an integral part of numerous conflicts. More than seventy Army Reserve units were deployed to the Korean Peninsula; well over 120,000 soldiers have provided combat support and combat service support during Operation Desert Shield/Storm; and others provided support in Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, Kosovo, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Noble Eagle, and Operation Iraqi Freedom; and currently over 12,000 Army Reserve soldiers are deployed around the world with over 500 Army Reservists since September 11, 2001, deployed from the Palmetto State into hostile environments in the fight against terrorism; and
Whereas, the role of the Army Reserve has changed over time. Moving from a Strategic Reserve to an Operational Force, the Army Reserve provides resources and training to first-responder organizations across the nation, trains soldiers, implements national objectives, keeps the Army mobile, and enables the Army to do more with constrained resources; and
Whereas, the Army Reserve makes up twenty percent of the Army's organized units, while providing one half of the Army's combat support and one fourth of its mobilization-base-expansion capabilities. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the Senate:
That the members of the Senate of the State of South Carolina, by this resolution, celebrate April 23, 2013, the 105th birthday of the United States Army Reserve, honor the commitment, dedication, and service to America of United States Army Reservists, and offer continuing support to our soldiers.
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to Ambassador Samuel T. Brick, United States Army Reserve Colonel (Retired).
This web page was last updated on April 9, 2013 at 12:49 PM