03/19/2013 09:00 AM Senate STATE AFFAIRS

                   HCR 5-DECORATION OF HONOR                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
9:03:16 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DYSON announced  that the first order of  business would be                                                               
HCR 5.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  DAN SADDLER,  sponsor  of HCR  5, introduced  the                                                               
bill. He  requested support  for HCR 5,  which awards  the Alaska                                                               
Decoration of  Honor to nine  individuals who were killed  in the                                                               
line of duty between January 1,  2012, and December 31, 2012. The                                                               
Alaska  Legislature created  the  Alaska Decoration  of Honor  in                                                               
2007 in  HB 244. It  is a  medal awarded posthumously  to service                                                               
members  from Alaska  or  who were  deployed  while stationed  in                                                               
Alaska  and  were  killed  in  action  or  in  supportive  combat                                                               
operations.  The medal  is  presented to  the  families of  these                                                               
service members.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
He  stated  that the  legislature  must  authorize the  award  by                                                               
resolution and has  done so each year since 2008.  Today, a total                                                               
of 232 men  and women have been awarded the  Alaska Decoration of                                                               
Honor dating  back to statehood.  He said  that HCR 5  will award                                                               
another  nine service  members and  authorize  their families  to                                                               
receive  the   award.  The  recipients  who   made  the  ultimate                                                               
sacrifice in 2012  are: Dustin P. Napier, Jeffery  L. White, Jr.,                                                               
Thomas K. Fogarty,  Brian L. Walker, Richard  L. McNulty, Vincent                                                               
J. Ellis, Nathan T. Davis, Carl E. Hammer, and Ethan J. Martin.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER  said he  had hoped he  would not  have to                                                               
award this  medal again. He  noted that  freedom is not  free and                                                               
the cost  is borne by  men and women such  as these who  risk and                                                               
sometimes lose their  lives in the service of our  country. It is                                                               
our duty to  remember and honor their sacrifice and  HCR 5 is one                                                               
way to do so.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DYSON  asked if these  recipients were Alaska  residents or                                                               
stationed in Alaska.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER said they were both.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  COGHILL  moved  to  report HCR  5  from  committee  with                                                               
individual recommendations  and attached zero fiscal  note. There                                                               
being  no objection,  HCR 5  was reported  from the  Senate State                                                               
Affairs Standing Committee.