SJR 30: Expressing gratitude for the United States military and supporting increased defense readiness through infrastructure development and public-military partnerships.
00 SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 30 01 Expressing gratitude for the United States military and supporting increased defense 02 readiness through infrastructure development and public-military partnerships. 03 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 WHEREAS the armed forces of the United States is essential to the safety, economy, 05 and identity of the state; and 06 WHEREAS increased military presence is critical to the state's economic and 07 demographic growth; and 08 WHEREAS the state is honored to be home to over 59,000 veterans, the highest 09 percentage of any other state, reflecting the state's connection to the armed forces; and 10 WHEREAS the unique geography and strategic access to the Arctic and Indo-Pacific 11 make the state critical to defense readiness, Arctic security, and allied operations; and 12 WHEREAS the caliber of military installations in the state is unmatched, including 13 Eielson Air Force Base, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Clear Space Force Station, Fort 14 Wainwright, Fort Greely, Coast Guard Base Kodiak, Coast Guard Base Ketchikan, Coast 15 Guard Sector Southeast Alaska, and Coast Guard Sector Western Alaska and U.S. Arctic and 16 numerous additional installations, training areas, and stations critical to national defense; and
01 WHEREAS, in the past decade, military installations in the state have seen substantial 02 personnel growth, including Eielson Air Force Base adding more than 1,000 airmen, a more 03 than a 50 percent increase in personnel, and Coast Guard Base Kodiak adding more than 04 1,200 coastguardsman, a more than 100 percent increase in personnel; and 05 WHEREAS planned military expansion includes additional KC-135 tanker 06 squadrons, Arctic security icebreakers, fast response cutters, missile defense systems, and 07 unmanned aerial systems, representing long-term strategic investment in the state and the 08 need for additional civilian support infrastructure; and 09 WHEREAS the state has a responsibility to support its military members and families 10 with sufficient, quality housing, schools, utilities, and services that allow the military 11 members to focus on the members' missions and encourage long-term residence in the state; 12 and 13 WHEREAS communities near military installations often face housing shortages that 14 negatively affect both service members and local residents; and 15 WHEREAS housing shortages are likely to compound as military expansion 16 accelerates; and 17 WHEREAS the state has a direct interest in providing sufficient support for military 18 installations to ensure the installations remain viable accompanied assignments rather than 19 being designated hardship posts; and 20 WHEREAS enhanced-use leases enable private development of housing on 21 underused military land, reducing housing costs for residents of the state while providing 22 housing for service members and families; and 23 WHEREAS dual-use facilities, such as warm-storage facilities, increase defense 24 readiness while providing natural disaster shelters and saving the state money; 25 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature recognizes and expresses 26 gratitude for the service and sacrifice of the men and women who protect the state; and be it 27 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature supports the expansion of 28 state military bases, dual-use facilities, and public-military partnerships, including enhanced- 29 use leases, to ensure adequate housing, infrastructure, and resources for service members and 30 families. 31 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Donald J. Trump, President
01 of the United States; the Honorable JD Vance, Vice President of the United States and 02 President of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Pete Hegseth, United States Secretary of Defense; 03 the Honorable Markwayne Mullin, United States Secretary of Homeland Security; the 04 Honorable Daniel Driscoll, United States Secretary of the Army; the Honorable John Phelan, 05 Secretary of the Navy; the Honorable Dr. Troy E. Meink, Secretary of the Air Force; and the 06 Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the Honorable Dan Sullivan, U.S. Senators, and the 07 Honorable Nicholas Begich, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in 08 Congress.