HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 44
(By Delegates Beane, Ashley, Kime, Azinger,
Anderson and Border)
Requesting the assistance and resources of His Excellency, the
Governor, the Secretary of the Department of Military
Affairs and Public Safety, the Adjutant General and members
of the West Virginia Delegation of the Congress of the
United States to preserve the continued existence of the
146th Medical Air Ambulance Unit of the West Virginia Air
National Guard.
Whereas, The 146th Medical Air Ambulance Unit of the West
Virginia Air National Guard is presently located at the
Parkersburg Airport in Parkersburg, Wood County, West Virginia,
is a fully self-maintained company unit consisting of 117
members, and services and operates 36 aircraft, including 12
helicopters fully outfitted for air medical evacuation uses, and
is also served by approximately 50 full-time civil service
technician employees; and
Whereas, The 146th has been in continuous existence in various
unit status since 1972 and enjoys the unique distinction of
having more total experience than any other medical air ambulance
unit in any branch of the United States Department of Defense,
including the United States Army, United States Navy, UnitedStates Air Force, both active and reserve units, and its service
includes service in Operation Desert Storm; and
Whereas, The 146th has a distinguished history of providing
invaluable services not only in the community of Parkersburg and
Wood County, but also the entire State, including medical air
evacuation in the Buffalo Creek Disaster, the great flood of
1985, and many other less infamous emergency situations,
particularly in remote areas which are not adequately served by
the private sector; and
Whereas, The 146th provides a vital contingent component of
emergency medical services to the greater Parkersburg community,
including, but not limited to, being a vital component in the
contingent emergency services and disaster plans of many of the
industrial and chemical plants located in the area, including
Shell Chemical, DuPont, General Electric and ElChem, and
routinely works with and assists area volunteer fire departments
in providing medical air evacuation; and
Whereas, The 146th provides the critical service of medical
air evacuation throughout the State to supplement the limited
resources of air medical evacuation provided by the private
sector and other State entities; and
Whereas, The Adjutant General has announced that on or before
September 30, 1995, the 146th will suffer a reduction in status
to a detachment, to be attached to and served by another medical
air ambulance unit in a neighboring state, thereby reducing the
146th's membership from 117 members down to 30 members, reducingthe number of air ambulance helicopters down to six units and
causing the loss of an undetermined number of full-time civil
service positions at the Parkersburg facility; and
Whereas, The reduction of the 146th is reportedly being made
as a part of the third phase of a program of military cutbacks by
the United States Department of Defense known as the "Quicksilver
Program"; however, ironically, at the same time, it is reported
that there are at least three new Medical Air Ambulance Units
being created or enlarged to company status in our neighboring
states of Ohio, Maryland and Delaware, which defies obvious
logic, at a time when the 146th is scheduled for reduction; and
Whereas, The aforesaid anticipated and projected reduction of
the 146th would result in a loss of medical air evacuation
services to the State which may very well result in loss of life
in routine emergencies and significant loss of life in disaster
situations, due to the lack of adequate medical air evacuation
services from the private sector and from other State agencies;
therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Legislature of West Virginia hereby requests and
urges His Excellency, the Governor, the Secretary of the
Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety, the Adjutant
General, and the West Virginia Delegation of the Congress of the
United States to utilize their resources to preserve the
continued existence and present status of the 146th Medical Air
Ambulance Unit of the West Virginia Air National Guard at itspresent strength and status as an independent company unit and to
prevent the projected cuts and reduction in strength; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates
submit a copy of this resolution to His Excellency, the Governor,
the Secretary of the Department of Military Affairs and Public
Safety, the Adjutant General, and the West Virginia Delegation of
the Congress of the United States.