S.C. State Guard honored by U.S. Congress in June
August 10, 2016
The S.C. State Guard received laudatory recognition by U.S. Congressman Joe Wilson addressing the U.S. House of Representatives, June 9, 2016, the third annual commemoration of “South Carolina State Guard Week.”
Speaking before the House, Wilson said, “Mr. Speaker, this week, South Carolina honors and pays tribute to the dedicated men and women of the South Carolina State Guard. The unpaid volunteers of the State Guard are always prepared for challenging events in the community. They respond quickly to work to help families recover after natural disasters. The South Carolina State Guard was crucial during the flooding last October. This 1,000-year flood devastated many neighborhoods. Members from all three brigades of the State Guard worked around the clock in filling sandbags and in assisting engineers and law enforcement. I was grateful to visit disaster relief centers firsthand, which was coordinated with the State Guard, and I was accompanied by Representatives Kirkman Finlay and Chip Huggins.”
Wilson added, “Our citizens really appreciate the command staff of the South Carolina State Guard for leading and inspiring these members: Major General Thomas Mullikin, Brigadier General Richard Leonard, Brigadier General Leon Lott, and Command Sergeant Major Mark Freeman.”
[View the official Congressional Record at – https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/2016/06/09/house-section/article/H3579-4]
In addition to his service as U.S. senator, Wilson served in both the U.S. Army Reserve and the Army National Guard, retiring as colonel in 2003.
In 2014, S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley proclaimed the first week in June as S.C. State Guard Week. June 1 is also the first official day of the Atlantic Hurricane Season. And Sept. 10, 2016 is the date of the fifth-annual Hurricane Hike, a State Guard training and conditioning hike in which the public is invited. [Visit –https://www.facebook.com/events/1653548021552728/]
For additional information about the many opportunities to serve as a member of the S.C. State Guard, “Professionals serving South Carolina,” visit us at http://www.sg.sc.gov/.
