HJ136: Commending Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division.


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 136
Commending the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, January 19, 2018
Agreed to by the Senate, February 15, 2018

 

WHEREAS, for 100 years, the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division in King George County has worked to make the United States Navy the most technologically advanced sea power in the world, leading to breakthroughs in science, mathematics, and engineering that have benefited the Commonwealth and the nation as a whole; and

WHEREAS, the United States Navy installation now known as Naval Support Facility Dahlgren was established in 1918; the largest tenant command to the facility, Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Dahlgren Division, has been instrumental in defending American interests at home and abroad by researching, developing, testing, and evaluating new weaponry and weapon systems, from bomb sights to laser weapon systems; and

WHEREAS, NSWC Dahlgren Division is now one of the largest employers of scientists and engineers in Virginia and has introduced systems engineering, mission engineering, and human systems integration to new generations of scientists and engineers; and

WHEREAS, from 1918-1943, NSWC Dahlgren Division proofed large-caliber naval guns, exterior ballistics, aerology, velocity, and range table production; in 1924, NSWC Dahlgren Division launched the first successful remote-controlled, takeoff-to-landing N9 seaplane flight; the Norden bombsight and VT fuze were also developed in Dahlgren during this time; and

WHEREAS, from 1949-1968, the Navy’s first significant calculating machine, the Aiken Relay Calculator, was used at NSWC Dahlgren Division, as were the IBM Naval Ordnance Research Calculator and the IBM 7030 Stretch supercomputer; software for the Global Positioning System, commonly called GPS, was developed at NSWC Dahlgren Division, as was the World Geodetic System; and

WHEREAS, during this era, guns and rockets were tested and programs were simulated or developed at NSWC Dahlgren Division to address new conflicts, including the Polaris missile for submarines, naval fleet ballistic missiles, six degrees of freedom trajectory, and the Hazards of Electromagnetic Radiation to Ordnance program; and

WHEREAS, from 1969-1993, as conflicts continued and technology advanced, NSWC Dahlgren Division’s workforce developed more sophisticated weapon systems, including a fire control system for the Trident class of submarine-launched ballistic missiles and the indomitable Aegis Combat System and Aegis Weapon System; and

WHEREAS, since 1994, and especially in the last two decades, asymmetrical warfare has become commonplace, and NSWC Dahlgren Division has again achieved new heights in developing advanced weapon systems, including the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense, deployed both on United States Navy ships and at land-based sites in other nations; chemical, biological, and radiation measures; an electromagnetic railgun; the Laser Weapon System; the Close-in Weapon System; and the Ship Self-Defense System; and

WHEREAS, NSWC Dahlgren Division is the largest employer in Central Virginia and the Northern Neck with more than 8,000 civilian, military, and contract personnel; the workforce is composed of employees from 14 counties in Virginia and five counties in Maryland, contributing more than $6.5 billion to local economies annually; and

WHEREAS, the diverse workforce of NSWC Dahlgren Division has forged relationships with the greater community, building new partnerships across academia, industry, commerce, and with the citizens of the surrounding region; and

WHEREAS, for a century, NSWC Dahlgren Division has supported the United States Navy, its fighters, and their families, and provided resources for the fleet and other Department of Defense and joint military forces for critical military operations worldwide; the center holds patents for more than 300 inventions and continues to spearhead some of the most unique scientific innovations in the world; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division on the occasion of its 100th anniversary on October 16, 2018; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for its unique contributions to the United States Navy and important role in defending the Commonwealth and the nation.

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 136

Offered January 16, 2018
Commending Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division.
Patron-- Ransone

WHEREAS, for 100 years, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division in King George County has worked to make the U.S. Navy the most technologically advanced sea power in the world, leading to breakthroughs in science, mathematics, and engineering that have benefited the Commonwealth and the nation as a whole; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Navy installation now known as Naval Support Facility Dahlgren was established in 1918; the largest tenant command to the facility, Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Dahlgren Division, has been instrumental in defending American interests at home and abroad through researching, developing, testing, and evaluating new weaponry and weapon systems, from bomb sights to laser weapon systems; and

WHEREAS, NSWC Dahlgren Division is now one of the largest employers of scientists and engineers in Virginia and has introduced systems engineering, mission engineering, and human systems integration to new generations of scientists and engineers; and

WHEREAS, from 1918–1943, NSWC Dahlgren Division proofed large-caliber naval guns, exterior ballistics, aerology, velocity, and range table production; in 1924, Dahlgren launched the first successful remote-controlled, takeoff-to-landing N9 seaplane flight; the Norden bombsight and VT fuze were also developed in Dahlgren during this time; and

WHEREAS, from 1949–1968, the Navy’s first significant calculating machine, the Aiken Relay Calculator, was used at NSWC Dahlgren Division, as were the IBM Naval Ordnance Research Calculator and the IBM 7030 Stretch supercomputer; software for the Global Positioning System, commonly called GPS, was developed at Dahlgren, as was the World Geodetic System; and

WHEREAS, during this era, guns and rockets were tested and programs were simulated or developed at NSWC Dahlgren Division to address new conflicts, including the Polaris missile for submarines, naval fleet ballistic missiles, six degrees-of-freedom trajectory, and the Hazards of Electromagnetic Radiation to Ordnance Program; and

WHEREAS, from 1969–1993, as conflicts continued and technology advanced, NSWC Dahlgren Division’s workforce developed more sophisticated weapon systems, including a fire control system for the Trident class of submarine-launched ballistic missiles and the indomitable Aegis Combat System and Aegis Weapon System; and

WHEREAS, since 1994, and especially in the last two decades, asymmetrical warfare has become commonplace, and NSWC Dahlgren Division has again achieved new heights in developing advanced weapon systems, including the Aegis ballistic missile defense, deployed both on U.S. Navy ships and at land-based sites in other nations; chemical, biological, and radiation measures; an electromagnetic railgun; the Laser Weapon System; the Close-in Weapon System, and the Ship Self-Defense System; and

WHEREAS, NSWC Dahlgren Division is the largest employer in central Virginia and the Northern Neck with more than 8,000 civilian, military, and contract personnel; the workforce is composed of employees from 14 counties in Virginia and five counties in Maryland, contributing more than $6.5 billion to local economies annually; and

WHEREAS, the diverse workforce of NSWC Dahlgren Division has forged relationships with the greater community, building new partnerships across academia, industry, and commerce, and with the citizens of the surrounding region; and

WHEREAS, for a century, NSWC Dahlgren Division has supported the U.S. Navy, its fighters, and their families, and provided the resources for the fleet and other Department of Defense and joint military forces for critical military operations worldwide; the center holds patents for more than 300 inventions and continues to spearhead some of the most unique scientific innovations in the world; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division on the occasion of its 100th anniversary on October 16, 2018; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for its unique contributions to the U.S. Navy and important role in defending the Commonwealth and the nation.