SCR 20-DECORATION OF HONOR                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
9:02:27 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  WIELECHOWSKI announced  that the  first order  of business                                                               
would be SCR 20, which would  award the Decoration of Honor to 25                                                               
individuals that were killed in  the line of duty while honorably                                                               
serving the United States in 2011.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
KENDRA  KLOSTER,  staff,   Senator  Bill  Wielechowski,  sponsor,                                                               
introduced SCR  20. She explained  that the resolution  honors 25                                                               
individuals who were  killed in the line of  duty while honorably                                                               
serving our state  and country in 2011. The  Alaska Decoration of                                                               
Honor was established  in 2007 to award  military service members                                                               
from Alaska, or  those who have been deployed  while stationed in                                                               
Alaska,  who  were killed  in  action  or  in support  of  combat                                                               
action. The  legislature must authorize  the award  by resolution                                                               
so  the decoration  can be  presented  to the  recipients of  the                                                               
survivors.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
In 2008,  the legislature  awarded the  medal to  171 individuals                                                               
dating  back to  statehood. From  2009 to  2010 an  additional 36                                                               
were authorized.  Passage of  SCR 20 will  allow the  families of                                                               
these 25 individuals to receive the Alaska Decoration of Honor.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
9:03:50 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  WIELECHOWSKI requested  information  as to  how the  names                                                               
were compiled for accuracy purposes.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MS. KLOSTER  replied that  she worked  with Military  and Veteran                                                               
Affairs and Legislative Legal to do so.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  PASKVAN  moved to  report  SCR  20 from  committee  with                                                               
individual  recommendations. There  being  no  objection, SCR  20                                                               
moved from the Senate State Affairs Standing Committee.