03/05/2013 01:00 PM House MILITARY & VETERANS' AFFAIRS

                   HCR  5-DECORATION OF HONOR                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
1:08:20 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR FOSTER announced  that the only order  of business would                                                               
be HOUSE  CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO.  5, Relating to  awarding the                                                               
Alaska Decoration of Honor to certain members of the military.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:08:35 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KIM SKIPPER,  staff to Representative  Dan Saddler,  Alaska State                                                               
Legislature,  informed  the committee  HCR  5  awards the  Alaska                                                               
Decoration of  Honor to nine  military service members  killed in                                                               
the  line  of duty  between  1/1/12  and  12/31/12.   The  Alaska                                                               
Decoration of  Honor was established  in 2007 by  the legislature                                                               
to  posthumously  honor individuals  -  from  Alaska or  deployed                                                               
while  stationed in  Alaska -  who were  killed in  action or  in                                                               
support  of  combat action.    This  medal  is presented  to  the                                                               
families of the service members.   The legislature must authorize                                                               
the award by resolution and has  done so since 2008.  Dating back                                                               
to  statehood,   232  men  and   women  have  been   awarded  the                                                               
Declaration of Honor.   House Concurrent Resolution  5 will award                                                               
another nine service members with  the Alaska Decoration of Honor                                                               
and  authorize  their  families to  receive  this  decoration  on                                                               
behalf  of their  loved ones  who  sacrificed for  our state  and                                                               
country.  She said the cost of  freedom is borne by men and women                                                               
who  risk  and  sometimes  lose  their lives  in  service.    The                                                               
recipients in 2012 are as follows:   Dustin P. Napier, Jeffrey L.                                                               
White,  Jr.,  Thomas K.  Fogarty,  Brian  L. Walker,  Richard  L.                                                               
McNulty, Vincent J.  Ellis, Nathan T. Davis, Carl  E. Hammar, and                                                               
Ethan J. Martin.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:11:01 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GRUENBERG   stated  statute  requires   that  the                                                               
legislature pass a concurrent resolution  to award the honor.  He                                                               
asked  whether  there  are  any   other  awards  that  require  a                                                               
concurrent  resolution, because  it  seems to  be an  unnecessary                                                               
step; in fact, if the  Legislative Affairs Agency could issue the                                                               
award, the  award would not be  delayed by a year.   He suggested                                                               
streamlining  the  process  of  the  resolution  by  deleting  AS                                                               
26.05.342(c).                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS. SKIPPER was  unsure of any other awards.   She said she would                                                               
look into a possible change.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HIGGINS asked if the  state militia is included in                                                               
the list of service organizations.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MS. SKIPPER  was unsure; however,  the award covers  service back                                                               
to statehood, which includes the Korean War.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD  asked whether  the branch of  service is                                                               
identified.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS.  SKIPPER said  she  did not  know whether  there  would be  a                                                               
decoration ceremony  as the last one  was held in 2007.   Letters                                                               
will be sent to family members with the medals.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:15:09 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HIGGINS clarified  the  Alaska Territorial  Guard                                                               
served in World War II and  became the Alaska State Defense Force                                                               
before statehood.    He said he would like  to honor any eligible                                                               
members of those services.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MS. SKIPPER offered to refer this suggestion to the sponsor.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  FOSTER  expressed his  belief  that  the passage  of  a                                                               
concurrent  resolution  gives  members   of  the  legislature  an                                                               
opportunity to respect and recognize the recipients.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GRUENBERG suggested  that  after  the awards  are                                                               
issued to families, the awards  would be recorded in a concurrent                                                               
resolution.   He  expressed his  concern about  the wait  for the                                                               
families and noted the therapeutic effect of closure.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MS. SKIPPER advised that locating the families can be difficult.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GRUENBERG  agreed,  adding  that  a  longer  wait                                                               
exacerbates this situation.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:19:40 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD  restated her question  about recognition                                                               
for the branch  of service that recipients  served, and suggested                                                               
that a memorial in the Capitol would be appropriate.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MS. SKIPPER took note of her suggestion.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:20:56 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 1:20 p.m. to 1:22 p.m.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:22:42 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. SKIPPER explained that in  order for the Alaska Decoration of                                                               
Honor  to be  awarded this  year  the resolution  must pass  both                                                               
bodies and be signed by the governor this session.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG withdrew his request.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:23:28 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR FOSTER, upon determining that  no one wished to testify,                                                               
closed public testimony.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:23:49 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD  moved to report  HCR 5 out  of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.  There  being no objection, HCR 5 was  reported out of the                                                               
House Special Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs.