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HRES 640 IHEH

Whereas the passage of the Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986 (Public Law 99-433) revoked the law prohibiting consolidation of military transportation functions, and President Reagan subsequently ordered the establishment of a United States Transportation Command;

Whereas October 1, 2007, marks the 20th anniversary of the activation of the Transportation Command at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois;

Whereas the Transportation Command is comprised of the Air Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, the Military Sealift Command at Washington, DC, and the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois;

Whereas the assigned responsibilitiesmission the of Transportation Command include providing common-user and commercial transportation, terminal management, aerial refueling, global patient movements to provide air, land, and serving asa transportation for the mobility joint force provideDepartment of Defense, both in times of peace and war;

Whereas Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm first demonstrated Transportation Command as a the fully operational command in both peacetimeapability of the Transportation Command with the movement of approximately 504,000 passengers, 3,700,000 tons of dry cargo, and wartime6,100,000 tons of petroleum products in 7 months;

Whereas the Transportation Command has continued to prove its worthserve the Nation during many contingency and peacekeeping operations around the world, including United Nations operations in Iraq, Rwanda, and Somalia, as well as North Atlantic Treaty Organization operations in Serbia and Kosovo;

Whereas the Transportation Command has supported many humanitarian relief operations transporting relief supplies to victims of foreign and domestic natural disasters;

Whereas after terrorist attacks killed nearly 3,000 people and wounded thousands on September 11, 2001, the Transportation Command became a vital asset in the global war on terrorism, supporting members of the Armed Forces in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and around the world;

Whereas from October 2001 to September 2007, the Transportation Command, its components, and its national partners have transported approximately 4,000,000 passengers, 9,000,000 short tons of cargo, and over 4,000,000,000,000 gallons of fuel in support of the global war on terrorism;Whereas in 2003 the Secretary of Defense charged the Transportation Command with the responsibility of improving the logistics, efficiency, and interoperability of distribution-related activities throughout the Department of Defense; and

Whereas the 2005 quadrennial defense review recognized the importance of joint mobility and the critical role that it plays in global power projection, cited the successful investment in cargo transportability, strategic lift, and pre-positioned stock, and called for continued recapitalization and modernization of the airlift and aerial tanker fleet: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

(1) honors the sacrifices and commitment of the approximately 155,000 men and women who comprise the United States Transportation Command, including active and reserve components, civilian employees, and contractors;

(2) honors the families of the United States Transportation Command and their sacrifices while their loved ones are deployed around the world;

(3) owes the men, women, and families of the Transportation Command a debt of gratitude; and

(4) honors the achievements of the Transportation Command during the global war on terrorism.