HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 54 Offered January 11, 2006 Prefiled January 9, 2006 Commending the Quartermaster Center and School. ----------
Patrons-- Cox, Abbitt, Barlow, Byron, Cole, Cosgrove, Dance, Englin, Fralin, Hall, Hargrove, Howell, W.J., Iaquinto, Ingram, Janis, Joannou, Johnson, Jones, D.C., Kilgore, Landes, Lingamfelter, Marsden, McQuigg, Morgan, Nixon, O'Bannon, Parrish, Plum, Rapp, Scott, E.T., Sherwood, Tata, Tyler, Waddell, Wardrup, Ware, R.L., Watts and Wittman; Senators: Devolites Davis, Houck, Howell, Martin, McDougle, Norment, Ticer, and Watkins
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WHEREAS, the United States Army Quartermaster Corps has existed for 230 years and is the nation's oldest combat service support branch,  participating in every war and in every theater of operations where United States soldiers have been deployed; and

WHEREAS, the Quartermaster Center and School, established at Fort Lee in 1941, has trained thousands of soldiers for the Quartermaster Corps and provided logistic support to the United States Armed Forces in all parts of the world for over 64 years; and

WHEREAS, the Quartermaster Center and School enlists 1,300 military and civilian personnel to instruct and train over 18,000 proficient and adaptive leaders and soldiers each year; and

WHEREAS, the Quartermaster Center and School is responsible for training units of the Army Reserve, the National Guard, and the 49th Quartermaster Group for deployment to the Middle East; and

WHEREAS, over 80% of the soldiers trained at the Quartermaster Center and School will be assigned to Iraq or Afghanistan within six months of their graduation, and the trained units directly support the Global War on Terrorism; and

WHEREAS, the unique nature of Operation Iraqi Freedom requires the Quartermaster Center and School to continually develop specialized battle training methods in both urban and live-fire convoy operations; and

WHEREAS, the Quartermaster Center and School sends mobile laundry teams to Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as personnel to assist active duty soldiers performing supply management and food service; and

WHEREAS, the innovative training techniques developed by the Quartermaster Center and School produce confident, highly skilled graduates who employ creative solutions to unique operational problems in hostile environments; and

WHEREAS, the Quartermaster Center and School, together with Fort Lee, is a productive element in Virginia's growth and prosperity, contributing over $860 million to the state economy annually; and

WHEREAS, the Quartermaster Center and School and its soldiers personify the Quartermaster ethos: "Logistics Warriors who are soldiers first, technicians second to none; battle focused; reliable professionals assuring victory by sustaining America's Army in peace and war"; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the Quartermaster Center and School for its superlative history of training excellence and support of the United States Armed Forces; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Brigadier General Mark A. Bellini, the 49th Quartermaster General and Commandant of the Quartermaster Center and School, as an expression of the General Assembly’s gratitude for its 64 years of outstanding service to the citizens of the Commonwealth and the nation.