HCR 6-US MARINE CORPS 250TH ANNIVERSARY  10:18:51 AM CHAIR EISCHEID announced that the first order of business would be HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 6, Commemorating the 250th Anniversary of the United States Marine Corps. 10:19:04 AM REPRESENTATIVE JUBILEE UNDERWOOD, Alaska State Legislature, as prime sponsor, presented HCR 6 to the committee. She paraphrased the sponsor statement for HCR 6 [included in the committee file], which read as follows [original punctuation provided]: House Concurrent Resolution 6 commemorates the 250th anniversary of the United States Marine Corps, to be observed on November 10, 2025, and recognizes the long and honorable history of the United States Marines Corps, and the Corps' contribution to the protection of freedom and liberty for our nation and the world. Established on November 10, 1775, at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia, the Marine Corps has distinguished itself as a premier military force, embodying the core values of honor, courage, and commitment. This resolution calls upon Alaskans and all Americans to honor this historic milestone and celebrate the Marine Corps' extraordinary legacy of service and sacrifice. The United States Marine Corps has been instrumental in shaping the nation's history, demonstrating exceptional leadership, resilience, and valor in every major conflict, from the Revolutionary War to the Global War on Terrorism. Through iconic battles such as Trenton, Saipan, Iwo Jima, Inchon, Fallujah and Ramadi, Marines have showcased their adaptability and unwavering dedication to safeguarding national security. The motto Semper Fidelis reflects their enduring loyalty, inspiring generations to serve with distinction. This resolution pays tribute to the Marines and Navy corpsmen who made the ultimate sacrifice, and recognizes the men and women currently serving who uphold this storied tradition. It encourages Alaskan communities to acknowledge the contributions of local Marines and to foster collaboration with the Marine Corps to promote civic pride and mutual support. By commemorating this anniversary, the resolution seeks to strengthen the bonds of camaraderie between the Marine Corps and the people of Alaska. Representative Underwood respectfully urges colleagues to support this resolution to ensure the United States Marine Corps' remarkable history and ongoing contributions are duly recognized and celebrated across Alaska and the nation. 10:22:07 AM BUDDY WHIT, Staff, Representative Jubilee Underwood, Alaska State Legislature, on behalf of Representative Underwood, prime sponsor of HCR 6, gave a PowerPoint presentation [hard copy included in the committee file]. He began on slide 1, which described what the United States Marine Corps (USMC) is, and moved through slides 2-3, which gave a brief overview of the history of the USMC. He moved to slide 4, which outlined the mission of the USMC, and continued to slide 5, which emphasized that "every marine is a rifleman." He skipped to slide 8, which highlighted the importance of the difference in using the word "birthday" instead of "anniversary" with regards to celebrating the USMC founding date, and he moved through slides 9-10, which detailed the USMC birthday celebrations. He concluded the presentation on slides 11-12. 10:29:19 AM REPRESENTATIVE NELSON asked Mr. Whit about his time in the USMC. He noted that the United States Congress attempted to dissolve the USMC after World War II, but it was retained due to its outstanding performance. MR. WHIT answered that he was an enlisted soldier that was trained as a rigger and participated in the USMC reserves after his time in active duty service. 10:31:34 AM REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked Representative Underwood if there is a national desire to pass similar resolutions in other states and asked about the USMC presence in Alaska. MR. WHIT replied that there is no nationwide push to celebrate the 250th birthday of the USMC by state legislatures and explained that the majority of the marines in Alaska are a part of a military police detachment. 10:34:48 AM REPRESENTATIVE GRAY noted that even though his focus had been with the U.S. Army, he recognized the importance of the 250th birthday of the USMC, and he asked when women began serving in USMC. MR. WHIT said that he did not know but would follow up with an answer. 10:36:15 AM CHAIR EISCHEID opened public testimony on HCR 6. After ascertaining that there was no one who wished to testify, he closed public testimony. 10:36:46 AM CHAIR EISCHEID moved to adopt Conceptual Amendment 1 to HCR 6, which read as follows: Page 2, line 2: Delete "Corps'" Insert "Corps's" REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER objected, then withdrew his objection. There being no further objection, Conceptual Amendment 1 to HCR 6 was adopted. 10:37:49 AM REPRESENTATIVE GRAY moved to report HCR 6, as amended, out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, CSHCR 6(MLV) was reported from the House Special Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs.