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Senate Resolution 30 - Introduced
An Act 1congratulating Major General Timothy Orr
2on his retirement as the Adjutant General of the
3Iowa National Guard and thanking him for his more
4than 40 years of military service to his state and
5nation.
6WHEREAS, Maj.Gen.Orr enlisted in the Iowa Army
7National Guard in 1978 while still a senior at Boone
8High School and rose through its ranks to lead the
99,000-member organization during a significant time in
10its history;and
11WHEREAS, Maj.Gen.Orr was originally appointed
12Adjutant General by then-Governor Chet Culver in March
132009, and he continued to serve in that position during
14both the Branstad and Reynolds administrations;and
15WHEREAS, during his tenure, Maj.Gen.Orr oversaw
16the continued transition of the National Guard from
17a strategic reserve to an operational force, which
18brought about unique challenges and opportunities for
19today’s citizen-soldiers and airmen;and
20WHEREAS, Maj.Gen.Orr oversaw the state’s largest
21federal mobilization since World War II in 2009-2010
22when the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry
23Division, deployed 2,800 soldiers to Afghanistan and
24was responsible for the mobilization, deployment,
25and training of another 4,200 soldiers and airmen in
26support of overseas contingency operations during his
27time as the Adjutant General;and
28WHEREAS, in what Maj.Gen.Orr called his no-fail
-1-1mission, he led multiple National Guard disaster
2response efforts in Iowa and sent Iowa National Guard
3soldiers and airmen to support disasters in other
4states through mutual support agreements;and
5WHEREAS, after the U.S.Air Force pulled F-16
6fighter aircraft from the 132nd Airbase in Des Moines,
7Maj.Gen.Orr worked closely with state and federal
8leaders to secure additional missions for the wing,
9resulting in a multitude of new operations, including
10an intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance
11group, and remotely piloted aircraft and cyber defense
12squadrons;and
13WHEREAS, in 2013, following a reduction in military
14personnel serving overseas and on active duty, Maj.
15Gen.Orr conceived the Home Base Iowa program to
16attract high-quality veterans and their families to
17the state to continue their military service in the
18National Guard and help fill critical labor shortages
19at Iowa-based employers;and
20WHEREAS, after more than 40 years of service to
21his state and nation, and 10 years as the Adjutant
22General of the Iowa National Guard, Maj.Gen.Timothy
23Orr announced his plans to retire effective May 1,
242019;NOW THEREFORE,
25BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, That all Iowans on the
26occasion of Major General Timothy Orr’s retirement,
27proudly congratulate him on achieving this significant
28milestone, and are honored to stand beside him as he
29finishes his more than 40-year military career devoted
30to the State of Iowa and the United States of America.
-2-as/rn
An Act 1congratulating Major General Timothy Orr
2on his retirement as the Adjutant General of the
3Iowa National Guard and thanking him for his more
4than 40 years of military service to his state and
5nation.
6WHEREAS, Maj.Gen.Orr enlisted in the Iowa Army
7National Guard in 1978 while still a senior at Boone
8High School and rose through its ranks to lead the
99,000-member organization during a significant time in
10its history;and
11WHEREAS, Maj.Gen.Orr was originally appointed
12Adjutant General by then-Governor Chet Culver in March
132009, and he continued to serve in that position during
14both the Branstad and Reynolds administrations;and
15WHEREAS, during his tenure, Maj.Gen.Orr oversaw
16the continued transition of the National Guard from
17a strategic reserve to an operational force, which
18brought about unique challenges and opportunities for
19today’s citizen-soldiers and airmen;and
20WHEREAS, Maj.Gen.Orr oversaw the state’s largest
21federal mobilization since World War II in 2009-2010
22when the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry
23Division, deployed 2,800 soldiers to Afghanistan and
24was responsible for the mobilization, deployment,
25and training of another 4,200 soldiers and airmen in
26support of overseas contingency operations during his
27time as the Adjutant General;and
28WHEREAS, in what Maj.Gen.Orr called his no-fail
-1-1mission, he led multiple National Guard disaster
2response efforts in Iowa and sent Iowa National Guard
3soldiers and airmen to support disasters in other
4states through mutual support agreements;and
5WHEREAS, after the U.S.Air Force pulled F-16
6fighter aircraft from the 132nd Airbase in Des Moines,
7Maj.Gen.Orr worked closely with state and federal
8leaders to secure additional missions for the wing,
9resulting in a multitude of new operations, including
10an intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance
11group, and remotely piloted aircraft and cyber defense
12squadrons;and
13WHEREAS, in 2013, following a reduction in military
14personnel serving overseas and on active duty, Maj.
15Gen.Orr conceived the Home Base Iowa program to
16attract high-quality veterans and their families to
17the state to continue their military service in the
18National Guard and help fill critical labor shortages
19at Iowa-based employers;and
20WHEREAS, after more than 40 years of service to
21his state and nation, and 10 years as the Adjutant
22General of the Iowa National Guard, Maj.Gen.Timothy
23Orr announced his plans to retire effective May 1,
242019;NOW THEREFORE,
25BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, That all Iowans on the
26occasion of Major General Timothy Orr’s retirement,
27proudly congratulate him on achieving this significant
28milestone, and are honored to stand beside him as he
29finishes his more than 40-year military career devoted
30to the State of Iowa and the United States of America.
-2-as/rn