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TO WELCOME THE NATIONAL COMMANDER OF THE AMERICAN LEGION, THE HONORABLE BRETT REISTAD, TO SOUTH CAROLINA AND TO INVITE HIM TO ADDRESS THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN JOINT SESSION IN THE CHAMBER OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AT 12:30 P.M. ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2019.
Whereas, from March 3 to March 6, 2019, the Honorable Brett Reistad, national commander of The American Legion, will pay a visit to the great State of South Carolina, a sojourn the South Carolina General Assembly trusts will be a pleasant one; and
Whereas, on August 30, 2018, Brett Reistad was elected national commander of the two-million-member American Legion in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during the one hundredth national convention of America's largest veterans' organization; and
Whereas, a resident of Manassas, Virginia, Mr. Reistad is a life member and past commander of Post 270 in McLean, Virginia, and he served as Department of Virginia commander from 2005 to 2006, during which membership reached an all-time high; and
Whereas, he has served at every level of The American Legion: past president and honorary life member of the National American Legion Press Association, chairman of the Department Legislative Committee, and gubernatorial appointee to the Commonwealth of Virginia's Joint Leadership Council of Veterans Service Organizations for two terms, helping to coordinate the input of twenty-three veteran-service organizations in crafting veteran-friendly legislation and advocating the proposed legislation before the governor and General Assembly. He is a tenured past department historian and was recently honored with an honorary life membership by the National Association of Department Historians of the American Legion; and
Whereas, Mr. Reistad is a past Legionnaire of the Year from Post 270 and a member of the Sons of American Legion Squadron 10 in Manassas. His wife, Jessica, and his family, are proud members of The American Legion Family; and
Whereas, his American Legion membership eligibility is through his distinguished Vietnam War-era service from 1974 to 1978 as an active duty United States Army infantryman, serving with the Presidential Salute Battery of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) at historic Fort Myer, Virginia; and
Whereas, among other high-profile ceremonies, Mr. Reistad participated in President Carter's inaugural ceremony and has since been honored as a Distinguished Member of the Regiment; and
Whereas, with a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from Virginia's Bluefield College, he served for twenty-six years with the Fairfax County Police Department and retired as a lieutenant; and
Whereas, Mr. Reistad began a second career as a coordinator for law enforcement services with the Regional Organized Crime Information Center of the Regional Information Sharing Systems Program, a congressionally funded law enforcement investigative assistance program of the United States Department of Justice; and
Whereas, he now leads The American Legion, one of the most influential and prestigious organizations in the United States with more than twenty-five thousand members in South Carolina and more than two million members nationally; and
Whereas, Mr. Reistad's theme as national commander has been "Celebrating Our Legacy," with special emphasis on the organization's centennial.
Whereas, speaking before a joint session of the General Assembly is an honor reserved for leaders of national prominence and a privilege well merited by the Honorable Brett Reistad. 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, welcome the national commander of The American Legion, the Honorable Brett Reistad, to South Carolina and invite him to address the General Assembly in joint session in the chamber of the South Carolina House of Representatives at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 6, 2019.
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to the Honorable Brett Reistad.
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