SEARCH SITE

VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

ACROSS SESSIONS

Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.

2018 SESSION

18107600D
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 200
Offered February 27, 2018
Commending Fort Eustis.
----------
Patrons-- Mason and Norment; Delegate: Mullin
----------

WHEREAS, for 100 years, Fort Eustis has been an essential post for the United States Armed Forces, ensuring that members of the United States Army are trained to provide transportation, aviation, and logistics support necessary to fight and win the nation’s wars; and

WHEREAS, in March 1918, the United States began the construction of Camp Eustis on land that is now the City of Newport News, Virginia, which served as a coastal artillery and trench motor training base for more than 20,000 members of the United States Armed Forces preparing to fight during World War I; and

WHEREAS, on January 10, 1923, War Department General Order Number 1 changed Camp Eustis to Fort Eustis, a permanent military installation; and

WHEREAS, in 1930, the United States Army created the Mechanized Force consisting of a headquarters company, the Army’s only active armored car troop, a company of infantry tanks, a machine-gun company, a self-propelled artillery battery, an engineer company, an ordnance company, and detachments of signal, chemical warfare, and quartermaster troops at Fort Eustis; and

WHEREAS, in January 1941, due to the high tensions in Europe, Fort Eustis became a Coast Artillery Replacement Center and trained more than 20,000 troops in anti-aircraft artillery; and

WHEREAS, on January 10, 1946, Fort Eustis became home to the Transportation Corps, which was responsible for troop and equipment transportation and played a critical role in opening and maintaining ports of embarkation and debarkation; training for the corps was consolidated as the Transportation School at Fort Eustis in 1946; and

WHEREAS, on December 10, 1954, Felker Heliport opened at Fort Eustis as the Department of Defense’s first airfield dedicated solely to helicopters, and on July 1, 1966, the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 7th Transportation Brigade was activated at Fort Eustis; and

WHEREAS, on April 12, 1983, Army Aviation was established as a basic branch, and shortly thereafter, the United States Army Transportation and Aviation Logistics School, now the 128th Aviation Brigade, was created at Fort Eustis; and

WHEREAS, on January 29, 2010, pursuant to the 2005 Base Closure and Realignment Commission Report, as approved by the United States President and Congress, Langley Air Force Base in Hampton and Fort Eustis in Newport News merged administrative functions to become Joint Base Langley-Eustis and relocated the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command from Fort Monroe to Fort Eustis; and

WHEREAS, Fort Eustis has been an essential economic contributor to the Virginia Peninsula, offering job opportunities to civilians and serving as home to thousands of active-duty military personnel, families, and retired service members; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Fort Eustis for its contributions to the United States Armed Forces on the occasion of its 100th anniversary on March 19, 2018; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Fort Eustis as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for its remarkable history and its important role in defending the Commonwealth and the nation.