SJR 17-DESIGNATING 2009 AS THE YEAR OF ARMY NCO                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
9:03:14 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR COGHILL announced that the  only order of business would be                                                               
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION  NO. 17, Designating 2009 as  the Year of                                                               
the Noncommissioned Officer Corps of the United States Army.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:04:36 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CARL GATTO, Alaska  State Legislature, speaking as                                                               
the  sponsor of  HJR 29,  the  companion legislation  to SJR  17,                                                               
related  that  HJR  29  and   SJR  17  are  identical  pieces  of                                                               
legislation.  He noted that he  will be carrying SJR 17 when it's                                                               
on the House floor.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
9:04:56 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GARDNER, referring  to  the language  on page  1,                                                               
line  16 through  page 2,  line 1,  asked if  officers come  into                                                               
service with some training.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:05:26 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JOSH  TEMPEL,  Staff,  Senator   Charlie  Huggins,  Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature,  explained  that  officers   go  through  two  basic                                                               
training  courses  and   then  they  enter  the   military.    He                                                               
characterized  the  officers  as  "fresh," and  noted  that  most                                                               
enlisted  military have  more experience  than  officers.   Often                                                               
platoon  sergeants  have  15-20  years of  experience  whereas  a                                                               
second lieutenant  has no practical experience  outside training,                                                               
although the  second lieutenant is  technically in charge  of the                                                               
platoon.    Therefore,   it  takes  some  time   for  the  second                                                               
lieutenant  to  adjust and  actually  become  the leader  of  the                                                               
platoon  simply  because  of  the  second  lieutenant's  lack  of                                                               
[practical] knowledge.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
9:06:21 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER, referring to  the reference to "Operation                                                               
Enduring Freedom  in Afghanistan and  the Philippines on  page 2,                                                               
asked if the [Noncommissioned Officer  Corps of the United States                                                               
Army] has been involved in the Philippines in recent years.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MR.  TEMPEL  replied  yes,   specifically  involved  in  training                                                               
exercises as there  are many terrorists and  insurgency groups in                                                               
the Philippines at this time.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
9:07:20 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HERRON  moved to  report SJR  17 out  of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.  There being no objection, it was so ordered.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
9:07:39 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GATTO  related that  Chair  Coghill  served as  a                                                               
staff sergeant in the U.S. Air Force.