--- title: HR 138. National Guard Day at the state capitol; February 6, 2025; recognize collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr138 cite_as: HR 138, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr138 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr138.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr138/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69794 date: 2025-02-03 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr137.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr139.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr138.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 138 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-02-03 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Josh Bonner - Bethany Ballard - Charles Cannon - Brad Thomas - David Clark text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR138/2025 upstream_id: 1952995 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - National Guard - state capitol recognition - hurricane response - military affairs --- # HR 138. National Guard Day at the state capitol; February 6, 2025; recognize ## Text House Resolution 138 By: Representatives Bonner of the 73rd, Ballard of the 147th, Cannon of the 172nd, Thomas of the 21st, and Clark of the 100th A RESOLUTION Recognizing February 6, 2025, as National Guard Day at the state capitol; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the Georgia Department of Defense provides ready and relevant military forces to combatant commanders to defend our nation and to the governor to support homeland defense and defense support to civil authorities; and WHEREAS, the Georgia Department of Defense is headquartered at the Clay National Guard Center in Marietta, Georgia, and it includes the Georgia Army National Guard, the Georgia Air National Guard, and the Georgia State Defense Force; and WHEREAS, the Georgia Department of Defense consists of more than 11,000 army national guard soldiers; 2,800 air national guard airmen; 450 state defense force volunteers; and 500 state employees; and WHEREAS, the Georgia Army National Guard is the sixth largest in the nation, trains in nearly 70 hometown armories and regional facilities in almost 60 counties across the state, and includes combat, combat support, and combat service support units; and WHEREAS, the Georgia Army National Guard is organized into five major subordinate commands, which are the Macon-based 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team; the 648th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade at Fort Moore; and the 78th Troop Command, 78th Aviation Troop Command, and 201st Regional Support Group at the Clay National Guard Center in Marietta; and WHEREAS, the Georgia Air National Guard is the air power component of the State of Georgia with airmen and officers assigned to the 116th Air Control Wing in Warner Robins, the 165th Airlift Wing in Savannah, and geographically separated units throughout Georgia, playing an active role in supporting combatant commanders and Georgia's homeland defense and emergency response; and WHEREAS, the Georgia State Defense Force is a wholly volunteer unit of the Georgia Department of Defense, serving in support of the national and state constitutions under direction of the governor and the adjutant general, notably during hurricane response operations in 2024; and WHEREAS, the Georgia National Guard has deployed more than 33,000 soldiers and airmen throughout all geographic combatant commands since September 11, 2001; maintained a steady overseas presence in support of contingency operations; maintained state partnerships with the Country of Georgia and Republic of Argentina; and supported homeland response missions within the State of Georgia due to winter storms, hurricanes, COVID-19, and civil unrest; and WHEREAS, in 2024, more than 2,000 Georgia guard soldiers, airmen, and state defense force personnel responded in the wake of hurricanes Debbie, Milton, and Helene, the last of which was the Georgia National Guard's largest domestic storm response in more than 30 years, encompassing more than 100 missions in 35 counties ranging from debris clearance to humanitarian support; and WHEREAS, the selfless actions of the Georgia Department of Defense and its components at home and abroad in 2024 stands as an example of putting service before self, and it is abundantly fitting and proper that the outstanding accomplishments of these remarkable and distinguished Georgians be appropriately recognized. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body recognize February 6, 2025, as National Guard Day at the state capitol and commend the men and women of the Georgia National Guard for their strength, leadership, courage, and selfless service. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the public and the press. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia House resolution designates February 6, 2025 as National Guard Day at the state capitol, honoring the service members of the Georgia National Guard and State Defense Force. ### Plain-language summary This resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives formally recognizes February 6, 2025 as National Guard Day at the state capitol. It does not change any Georgia law; instead it is a ceremonial statement praising the Georgia Department of Defense, which includes the Georgia Army National Guard, Georgia Air National Guard, and Georgia State Defense Force. The text describes the size and structure of these forces, including more than 11,000 army guard soldiers and 2,800 air guard airmen, and highlights their response to 2024 hurricanes Debbie, Milton, and Helene, calling the Helene response the largest domestic storm mission in more than 30 years. The resolution directs the Clerk of the House to make copies available to the public and press. ### What it does - Designates February 6, 2025 as National Guard Day at the Georgia state capitol. - Commends members of the Georgia National Guard for their service, without creating any new legal requirement or funding. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to distribute copies of the resolution to the public and press. ### Who it affects The resolution directly concerns members of the Georgia Army National Guard, Georgia Air National Guard, and Georgia State Defense Force, as well as the Georgia Department of Defense. It has no binding effect on the general public, businesses, or other government agencies. ### Why it matters Because this is a ceremonial resolution, it does not alter any Georgia statute, create funding, or impose obligations. Its practical effect is symbolic recognition of National Guard members' service, particularly their 2024 hurricane response efforts, at the state capitol. ### Key provisions - The resolving clause recognizes February 6, 2025 as National Guard Day and commends Georgia National Guard members for strength, leadership, courage, and selfless service. - A further resolved clause directs the Clerk of the House to make copies available for distribution to the public and press. - The preamble (whereas clauses) details the structure of the Georgia Department of Defense, including its major commands and personnel numbers. - The preamble recounts 2024 hurricane response missions, noting more than 100 missions across 35 counties during Hurricane Helene. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-02-03) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-02-03) - Sponsors: Josh Bonner, Bethany Ballard, Charles Cannon, Brad Thomas, David Clark - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69794 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr138.md?full=1