Reps. Marino, Hornberger, Farrington, Yaroch, Sowerby, Lucido, Chirkun, Yanez, Hertel, and Green offered the following resolution:

            House Resolution No. 136.

            A resolution to commemorate the centennial of Selfridge Air National Guard Base.

Whereas, Selfridge Air National Guard Base (ANGB) was formally established on July 1, 1917, in Harrison Township, Michigan as one of the first military airfields in the nation under continuous service; and

            Whereas, The ANGB was named after the first aerial military casualty, Army Lt. Thomas Selfridge, while on a demonstration flight with Orville Wright in 1908; and

Whereas, The former president of Packard Motor Company, Henry B. Joy, leased his rural airfield in 1917 to the military to train pilots and related personnel. This rural airfield would eventually become Selfridge ANGB; and

            Whereas, Selfridge ANGB was previously home to the oldest air combat group in the nation, the 1st Pursuit Group, and stationed famous pilots such as Charles Lindbergh; and

            Whereas, During WWII maintenance personnel of the famed Tuskegee Airmen, an all-African American unit, trained at the base and helped lead the way toward ending racial segregation in the military; and

            Whereas, Following the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, the 127th Wing began flying combat air patrol missions over the great lakes region within hours of the attack; and

Whereas, Selfridge ANGB is one of the largest and most complex Air National Guard operated bases in the nation, and it is a joint-military base, home to the Army, Navy, Airforce, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard as well as U.S. Homeland Security; and

            Whereas, Garrisoned at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, the 127th Wing comprises approximately 1,700 citizen-airmen and provides highly-trained personnel and aerial support to our state and the nation; and

            Whereas, The 127th Wing operates KC-135T Stratotankers, providing global aerial refueling capability in support of Air Mobility Command, and the A-10C Thunderbolt II, flying the close air support mission in support of Air Combat Command; and

            Whereas, The 127th Wing was the 2016 recipient of the Carl A. Spaatz Award, given to the nation’s top National Guard Unit, in addition to receiving the Meritorious Unit Award for performance of both combat operations and support of those operations; and

Whereas, The Wing also supports the Air Force Special Operations Command with its 107th Weather Flight; and

Whereas, Selfridge ANGB is a fulcrum for the local and state economy and our national defense with an annual economic impact of over $700 million while serving as a critical component of disaster response, homeland security, and global combat operations; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the House of Representatives, That the members of this legislative body commemorate the centennial of Selfridge Air National Guard Base; and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Adj. General of the Michigan National Guard, the Governor of the state of Michigan, members of the Michigan congressional delegation, the Secretary of the Air Force, and the Secretary of Defense.