00 Enrolled HJR 11 01 Commemorating the 30th anniversary of President Ronald Reagan's address to the nation 02 concerning the Strategic Defense Initiative, recognizing the strategic importance of Alaska in 03 the missile interceptor defense system, and urging the United States to deploy the number of 04 ground-based interceptors originally intended at Fort Greely. 05 _______________ 06 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 07 WHEREAS, on March 23, 1983, President Ronald Reagan delivered a televised 08 address to the nation regarding the nuclear and ballistic missile threat posed by the Soviet 09 Union and appealed to the American people to support the development of new technologies 10 to counter this threat; and 11 WHEREAS March 23, 2013, marks the 30th anniversary of this landmark address; 12 and 13 WHEREAS President Reagan believed the nation's security to be based on 14 preparedness and a national willingness to meet all threats and supported military strength as 15 a means of deterring aggression and preserving peace; and 16 WHEREAS President Reagan envisioned a defensive, non-nuclear capability to 01 intercept and destroy strategic nuclear missiles before the missiles could reach the United 02 States or allies of the United States; and 03 WHEREAS President Reagan envisioned the missile defense system as a way to 04 significantly reduce incentives an adversary might have to threaten or attack the United States 05 or an ally of the United States; and 06 WHEREAS, through the efforts of dedicated Americans and allies who have 07 championed the pursuit of peace through strength and who have surmounted the immense 08 technical hurdles to develop ballistic missile defense technologies and systems to protect our 09 nation, our allies, and our vital overseas interests, President Reagan's vision has been realized; 10 and 11 WHEREAS Alaska possesses abundant natural assets, including energy, minerals, 12 and human resources, vital to the prosperity and national security of the United States; and 13 WHEREAS, in 1997, the Alaska State Legislature requested President Clinton to 14 include Alaska and Hawaii in every national intelligence estimate of missile threats to the 15 United States and urged the President to ensure that Alaska be protected from and be able to 16 defend against missile attacks with the same degree of assurance provided to all other states; 17 and 18 WHEREAS the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense System and its effective Ground- 19 Based Interceptor missiles currently deployed at Fort Greely, Alaska, and Vandenberg Air 20 Force Base, California, together with the Missile Defense Integration and Operations Center 21 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, function as key components of the integrated United States 22 Ballistic Missile Defense System; and 23 WHEREAS the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense System serves to defend the 24 United States, including Hawaii and Alaska, against long-range ballistic missiles; and 25 WHEREAS the Alaska National Guard's 49th Missile Defense Battalion, as the first 26 line of defense in the missile interceptor defense system, protects the nation against missile 27 attacks from North Korea and other entities; and 28 WHEREAS the nation's missile defenses were successfully put on alert in response to 29 the July 2006, December 2012, and other North Korean missile launches; and 30 WHEREAS our nation's integrated ballistic missile defense system represents a key 31 element of our national defense, provides a vital deterrent against aggression, and preserves 01 freedom and peace; 02 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature recognizes the unique vision 03 and tireless efforts of President Ronald Reagan to promote peace and security; and be it 04 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature recognizes the immense 05 value of the research, development, and investment inspired by President Reagan in his 06 March 23, 1983, appeal to the American people to change the course of human history by 07 pursuing the robust capabilities necessary to protect and preserve our way of life; and be it 08 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature recognizes and expresses 09 support for President Reagan's refusal to accept the vulnerability of the United States to 10 missile attack, his unfailing commitment to ensuring the United States would achieve its 11 national security and foreign policy goals from a position of strength, and his firm belief that 12 the United States would never be secure if the nation's enemies were able to attack from 13 space; and be it 14 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature recognizes the strategic 15 role Alaska and Alaskans play in the missile interceptor defense system as a first line of 16 defense, and especially the role played by the Alaska National Guard's 49th Missile Defense 17 Battalion; and be it 18 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature commemorates the 30th 19 anniversary of President Reagan's address to the nation on the subject of the Strategic Defense 20 Initiative; and be it 21 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State legislature urges the United States to 22 deploy the number of ground-based interceptors originally intended at Fort Greely and to 23 complete research, development, and deployment of complementary theater-based missile 24 defenses and to deploy the strategic ground, sea, air, and space-based systems envisioned by 25 President Reagan in his March 23, 1983, address to deter current missile threats. 26 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Barack Obama, President of 27 the United States; the Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the Honorable Mark Begich, U.S. 28 Senators, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska 29 delegation in Congress; all other members of the 113th United States Congress; the presiding 30 officers of the legislatures for each of the other 49 states; General Charles H. Jacoby, Jr., 31 Commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command; and Major General 01 Thomas Katkus, Adjutant General of the Alaska National Guard and commissioner of military 02 and veterans' affairs.