A house RESOLUTION

 

to declare April 30, 2025, as "2nd Battalion 151st Aviation Regiment day" in honor and appreciation of the professional and steadfast efforts of its soldiers to ensure the preservation of life and property for all South Carolinians.

 

Whereas, the South Carolina House of Representatives is deeply grateful to the men and women of the 2nd Battalion 151st Aviation Regiment of the South Carolina Army National Guard for their dedicated service in protecting the lives and property of citizens of the Palmetto State; and

 

Whereas, the South Carolina Army National Guard's 2nd Battalion 151st Aviation Regiment is the premier domestic operations aviation battalion in the Southeast, consisting of CH-47F Chinook, UH-60 Blackhawk, and UH-72 Lakota helicopters, and has directly saved the lives and property of countless South Carolinians over the past six months; and

 

Whereas, dedicated to its motto, "Second to None," the 2nd Battalion 151st Aviation Regiment has flown 418.1 flight hours in direct support of domestic disaster-relief operations since Hurricane Helene, by far the most flight hours ever conducted in support of domestic operations in a single year by South Carolina Army National Guard aircraft; and

 

Whereas, the 2nd Battalion 151st Aviation Regiment maintainers have executed over 1,800 hours of helicopter maintenance during natural disasters to ensure that the unit stands ready and capable of preserving life and property within the State of South Carolina; and

 

Whereas, in the month of March 2025 alone, the 2nd Battalion 151st Aviation Regiment performed 1,617 helicopter water drops resulting in more than 1,873,090 combined gallons of water being dispersed between the Horry County and Table Rock Complex fires; and

 

Whereas, the 2nd Battalion 151st Aviation Regiment has established forward refueling points at multiple locations across South Carolina to decrease aviation response time and increase the on-station time of aircraft directly responding to natural disasters; and

 

Whereas, the 2nd Battalion 151st Aviation Regiment has successfully performed seventy-four real-world hoist rescue missions, including seventeen pets rescued, since September 2024; and

 

Whereas, the 2nd Battalion 151st Aviation Regiment CH-47Fs delivered more than two hundred fifty-two tons of supplies for immediate life-support operations following Hurricane Helene; and

 

Whereas, the South Carolina House of Representatives appreciates the continual sacrifice of personal time of soldiers in 2nd Battalion 151st Aviation Regiment and the consistent readiness and willingness that they maintain in order to answer the call of our State and nation immediately to preserve and protect our citizens during natural disasters. Now, therefore,

 

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:

 

That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, declare April 30, 2025, as "2nd Battalion 151st Aviation Regiment Day" in honor and appreciation of the professional and steadfast efforts of its soldiers to ensure the preservation of life and property for all South Carolinians.

 

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to the 2nd Battalion 151st Aviation Regiment of the South Carolina Army National Guard.

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