SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 16

(By Senators Wells, Unger, Snyder, Jenkins, Browning, Kessler (Acting President), McCabe, Stollings, Plymale, Prezioso, Miller, Laird, Palumbo, Klempa, Beach, Yost, Williams and Sypolt)

Honoring Adjutant General Allen E. Tackett for his service and dedication to his state and country.

    Whereas, Adjutant General Allen E. Tackett joined the WV National Guard as a Private in the 19th Special Forces Group on January 20, 1963; and

    Whereas, Adjutant General Allen E. Tackett was commissioned as an officer in 1967, after attending the Ft. Benning Officer Candidate School where he is in the Hall of Fame; and

    Whereas, Adjutant General Allen E. Tackett brought more than $2.8 billion federal investment to West Virginia since 1997; and

    Whereas, Adjutant General Allen E. Tackett added more than 1,000 full-time jobs, more than doubling the National Guard's workforce; and

    Whereas, Adjutant General Allen E. Tackett grew the WV National Guard from 24th in the nation in readiness to 1st in the nation in 18 months and has remained at or near the top for 15 consecutive years; and

    Whereas, Adjutant General Allen E. Tackett has helped thousands of young West Virginians attend college through the National Guard tuition assistance program - 43% of Guard members either have a degree or are in college; and

    Whereas, Adjutant General Allen E. Tackett, during his tenure, secured more than $800 million dollars to modernize National Guard facilities and add infrastructure around the state; and

    Whereas, Adjutant General Allen E. Tackett developed the Joint Interagency Training and Education Center, which includes the Memorial Tunnel complex on the West Virginia Turnpike and training facilities at Camp Dawson - nationally-renowned homeland defense programs that provide training for emergency responders around the world; and

    Whereas, Adjutant General Allen E. Tackett served during the administrations of five governors of both political parties; and

    Whereas, Adjutant General Allen E. Tackett is currently the longest serving adjutant general in the nation and the longest serving in state history; and

    Whereas, Adjutant General Allen E. Tackett was recently named both a Distinguished West Virginian by the Governor and West Virginian of the Year by the Charleston Gazette; and

    Whereas, Adjutant General Allen E. Tackett was often referred to by the late Senator Robert C. Byrd as "the greatest general since Hannibal"; and

    Whereas, Adjutant General Allen E. Tackett created "generational change" in the National Guard and West Virginia, and is described by West Virginia Guard members as "a soldier's general"; therefore, be it

    Resolved by the Senate:

    That the Senate hereby honors Adjutant General Allen E. Tackett for his service and dedication to his state and his country; and, be it

    Further Resolved, That the Clerk is hereby directed to forward a copy of this resolution to Adjutant General Allen E. Tackett.