S*1275 Concurrent Resolution, By Lourie
 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION TO HONOR AND COMMEND THE DRILL SERGEANTS OF THE UNITED
 STATES ARMY FOR THEIR OUTSTANDING SERVICE, TO CONGRATULATE THE U.S. ARMY DRILL
 SERGEANT PROGRAM ON ITS FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY, AND TO DECLARE SEPTEMBER 10,
 2014, AS "ARMY DRILL SERGEANT RECOGNITION DAY" IN SOUTH CAROLINA.

   05/06/14  Senate Introduced, adopted, sent to House
                     (Senate Journal-page 3)
   05/07/14  House  Introduced, adopted, returned with concurrence
                     (House Journal-page 15)

TO HONOR AND COMMEND THE DRILL SERGEANTS OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY FOR THEIR OUTSTANDING SERVICE, TO CONGRATULATE THE U.S. ARMY DRILL SERGEANT PROGRAM ON ITS FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY, AND TO DECLARE SEPTEMBER 10, 2014, AS "ARMY DRILL SERGEANT RECOGNITION DAY" IN SOUTH CAROLINA.

Whereas, the South Carolina General Assembly is pleased to learn that the U.S. Army Drill Sergeant Program will celebrate its fiftieth anniversary on September 10, 2014; and

Whereas, history records that in September 1964 the Fort Leonard Wood Drill Sergeant School in Missouri began training noncommissioned officers for drill sergeant duties; and

Whereas, as a result of the establishment of this school, the training of American soldiers was to achieve a new level of excellence, one primarily due to the labors of the top-quality drill sergeants that emerged from the school's program; and

Whereas, today's drill sergeants, trained since 2011 at the Army's Fort Jackson Drill Sergeant School, serve at four Army installations: Fort Benning, Georgia; Fort Sill, Oklahoma; Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; and Fort Jackson. In addition, the U.S. Army Reserve has drill sergeants in its three training divisions throughout the United States. Approximately two thousand nine hundred drill sergeants in the active Army and about three thousand in the Army Reserve serve as drill sergeants to today's soldiers; and

Whereas, a drill sergeant is responsible for coaching, counseling, and mentoring hundreds, if not thousands, of soldiers for the purpose of transforming them from civilians to combat-ready soldiers; and

Whereas, individually and collectively, drill sergeants symbolize excellence in initial entry training, are experts in all warrior tasks and battle drills, live out Army values, exemplify the warrior ethos, and, most important, are the epitome of the Army as a profession. Grateful for their faithful service, the General Assembly takes great pleasure in saluting such a fine body of servicemen and women. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring:

That the members of the South Carolina General Assembly, by this resolution, honor and commend the drill sergeants of the United States Army for their outstanding service, congratulate the U.S. Army Drill Sergeant Program on its fiftieth anniversary, and declare September 10, 2014, as "Army Drill Sergeant Recognition Day" in South Carolina.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be provided to the U.S. Army Drill Sergeant School at Fort Jackson.