GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2007

RATIFIED BILL

RESOLUTION 2008-9

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 2793

A JOINT RESOLUTION honoring the members of the 1132^nd military police company of the north carolina national guard.

Whereas, on June 16, 2007, the 1132nd Military Police Company of the North Carolina National Guard, with armories in Rocky Mount, Tarboro, and Mount Olive, departed for the Army mobilization site at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, prior to deploying to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom; and

Whereas, this deployment was the first time that many of the soldiers of the 1132^nd would be assigned to a combat zone; and

Whereas, on September 12, 2007, the 1132^nd, augmented by a platoon of soldiers from the New Hampshire National Guard, departed for Kuwait; and

Whereas, on September 29, 2007, the unit arrived at its Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Eastern Baghdad, where it fell under the operational control of Task Force 95^th Military Police (TF 95^th MP), part of the18^th Military Police Brigade; and

Whereas, as part of TF 95^th MP, the soldiers of the 1132^nd teamed with the Iraqi Police Service as Police Transition Teams (PTT), providing training and oversight of Iraqi Police operations; and

Whereas, daily operations for the 1132^nd included the planning and execution of combined mounted and foot patrol in partnership with Coalition Forces, the Iraqi Army, as well as the Iraqi Police; and

Whereas, in February 2008, the 1^st Platoon was relocated to a camp about 27 kilometers from downtown Baghdad; and

Whereas, the platoon operated under the 108^th Military Police Company from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and was assigned to a Police Transition Team mission with responsibility for multiple Iraqi Police stations; and

Whereas, throughout their deployment, the soldiers of the 1132^nd provided the critical security and law enforcement expertise needed in order to ensure their Iraqi Police counterparts were fully prepared to assume all local law enforcement duties; and

Whereas, due to the nature of their assignment, several soldiers of the 1132^nd suffered injury, and five soldiers lost their lives in service to their country; and

Whereas, Sgt. Lance Oliver Eakes of Apex, North Carolina; Sgt. Thomas Columbus Ray II of Weaverville, North Carolina; Sgt. David Blakeley Williams of Tarboro, North Carolina; Staff Sgt. Emanuel Pickett of Wallace, North Carolina; and Specialist David S. Stelmat, Jr. of Littleton, New Hampshire, were killed in the line of duty; and

Whereas, these fallen soldiers should be honored for their valiant and heroic efforts in protecting the national security interest of the United States and upholding the principles of democracy and freedom; and

Whereas, as the 1132^nd completes its mission and returns to North Carolina, it is important to pay tribute to the soldiers of this unit who bravely rose to the challenge of serving their country, while leaving loved ones behind and putting their careers on hold during their deployment; and

Whereas, it is also fitting to recognize the family members of the 1132^nd who, while enduring financial hardships and sacrifices, provided continuous support for their loved ones during their deployment; Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:

SECTION 1.  The General Assembly expresses its gratitude and profound appreciation to the soldiers of the 1132^nd Military Police Company of the North Carolina National Guard for their service during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

SECTION 2.  The General Assembly honors the memory of members of the 1132^nd Military Police Company of the North Carolina National Guard and the New Hampshire National Guard who gave their lives while rendering service to their State and nation and extends its deepest sympathy to their families.

SECTION 3.  The Secretary of State shall transmit a certified copy of this resolution to Captain Leland George Pearson, Commander of the 1132^nd Military Police Company of the North Carolina National Guard.

SECTION 4.  This resolution is effective upon ratification.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 10^th day of June, 2008.

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                                                                         Marc Basnight

                                                                         President Pro Tempore of the Senate

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                                                                         Joe Hackney

                                                                         Speaker of the House of Representatives