H*5032 Concurrent Resolution, By Bingham
 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION TO RECOGNIZE CAPTAIN FRANK L. CULBERTSON, JR., FOR THE
 EXTRAORDINARY LEADERSHIP HE HAS SHOWN IN THE UNITED STATES NAVY AND AS A
 VETERAN OF THREE SPACE FLIGHTS, INCLUDING SERVING AS COMMANDER OF THE
 EXPEDITION-3 CREW WHICH DOCKED WITH THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION FOR ONE
 HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE DAYS IN 2001.

   04/04/02  House  Introduced, adopted, sent to Senate HJ-50
   04/09/02  Senate Introduced, adopted, returned with concurrence SJ-23

TO RECOGNIZE CAPTAIN FRANK L. CULBERTSON, JR., FOR THE EXTRAORDINARY LEADERSHIP HE HAS SHOWN IN THE UNITED STATES NAVY AND AS A VETERAN OF THREE SPACE FLIGHTS, INCLUDING SERVING AS COMMANDER OF THE EXPEDITION-3 CREW WHICH DOCKED WITH THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION FOR ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE DAYS IN 2001.

Whereas, Captain Culbertson is a graduate of Holly Hill High School and earned a bachelor of science degree in aerospace engineering from the United States Naval Academy and distinguished graduate of the United States Naval Test Pilot School; and

Whereas, he is a Senior Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, a distinguished member of the Association of Naval Aviators, Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association, the Aviation Boatswains Mate's Association, and the Association of Space Explorers; and

Whereas, he has been awarded the Legion of Merit, the Navy Flying Cross, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, NASA Space Flight Medals, Navy Commendation Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, and, among other unit and service awards, the Humanitarian Services Medal; and

Whereas, he has also been awarded the Komarov Certificate for Space Flight Achievement, the AAS Flight Achievement Award for STS-51, Aviation Week and Space Technology 1997 Laurel for Achievement in Space, IEEE/ASME Award for Manager of the Year, and the Space Center Rotary Club Stellar Award for 1998, as well as Honorary Doctor of Science Degrees from the College of Charleston and Lander University; and

Whereas, he was selected as a NASA astronaut candidate in May 1984 and completed basic astronaut training in June 1985 and, following his first flight, served as the Deputy Chief of the Flight Crew Operations Space Station Support Office, as well as the lead astronaut for Space Station Safety; and

Whereas, he was also a member of the team evaluating the hardware and procedures for the proposed mission to dock with the Russian Space Station Mir, was Chief of the Astronaut Office Mission Support Branch, and, subsequently, Chief of the Johnson Space Center Russian Projects Office; and

Whereas, in 1994, he was named Deputy Program Manager, Phase 1 Shuttle-Mir and, in 1995, became Manager of the Shuttle-Mir Program where he was responsible for a multi-national team which executed nine Shuttle docking missions to the Russian Space Station Mir, with seven astronauts spending thirty months cumulatively on-board the Mir Station, plus all the associated science and docking hardware to ensure the success of the joint program, a precursor to the building of the joint International Space Station; and

Whereas, just prior to his current flight assignment, Captain Culbertson spent one year as Deputy Program Manager for Operations of the International Space Station Program; and

Whereas, the members of the South Carolina General Assembly would like to publicly recognize him for his achievements in astronautics and aeronautics and commend him for his support of the South Carolina State Museum's Observatory, Planetary Theatre project. Now, therefore,

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

That the members of the South Carolina General Assembly, by this resolution, recognize Captain Frank L. Culbertson, Jr., for the extraordinary leadership he has shown in the United States Navy and as a veteran of three space flights, including serving as Commander of the Expedition-3 crew which docked with the International Space Station for one hundred twenty-five days in 2001.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to Captain Culbertson.