WHEREAS, It is the policy of the Washington State House of Representatives to recognize the bravery and selflessness of Washington's military men and women; and
     WHEREAS, The Third Stryker Brigade returned home to Joint Base Lewis-McChord in December 2012; and
     WHEREAS, Roughly 4,000 members of the Third Stryker Brigade served with honor and distinction during their year-long deployment to Afghanistan; and
     WHEREAS, The Third Stryker Brigade's mission was to defeat insurgents in the southern provinces of Zabul and Kandahar, Afghanistan; and
     WHEREAS, The nation remembers and honors the many brave soldiers of the Third Stryker Brigade who gave the ultimate sacrifice to our country; and
     WHEREAS, We extend our thoughts and prayers to the families who lost their loved ones who nobly served our nation in the Third Stryker Brigade; and
     WHEREAS, Recognition is given to the brave soldiers of the Third Stryker Brigade who sustained life altering injuries, and we offer our support to these extraordinary heroes in a manner befitting our nation's bravest servants; and
     WHEREAS, Recognition is given to Colonel Charles Webster and Command Sergeant Major Samuel Murphy for their leadership of the Third Stryker Brigade and sound judgment on the battlefield, and we thank them for accepting their call to duty; and
     WHEREAS, This body recognizes the many lives these troops have made brighter through their service to our country and communities; and
     WHEREAS, Communities in Washington welcome these public servants with heartfelt thanks and gratitude to serve in other ways as neighbors and friends or in their continued military careers; and
     WHEREAS, Acknowledgment is given for the sacrifice made by the families of the Third Stryker Brigade, who were not on the battlefield, but bravely met the challenges at home to care for children, parents, friends, and neighbors on their own; and
     WHEREAS, Recognition is given for the sacrifice we ask of those who serve in our volunteer military, and we have the utmost respect for those willing to lay down their lives for us in the cause of freedom, reminding us that "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends";
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State House of Representatives recognize and honor Colonel Charles Webster, Command Sergeant Major Samuel Murphy, and the brave troops of the Third Stryker Brigade who served our country so valiantly overseas. We welcome these military men and women into our communities with our thanks and gratitude and commit to doing all we can to transition them and their families into civilian life, or to support them in their continued service in our armed forces; and
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives to Colonel Charles Webster, Sergeant Major Samuel Murphy, and the brave members of the Third Stryker Brigade.