Senate Concurrent Resolution 597

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THE MILITARY LEGACY AND PRINCIPLED CONSTITUTIONAL BACKGROUND OF LIEUTENANT COLONEL AND FORMER CONGRESSMAN ALLEN B. WEST AND WELCOMING HIM TO THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI.

WHEREAS, we welcome Lieutenant Colonel Allen B. West to the State of Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, Colonel West is the third of four generations of military servicemen in his family. During his 22-year career in the United States Army, Lieutenant Colonel West served in several combat zones and received many honors, including a Bronze Star, three Meritorious Service Medals, three Army Commendation Medals, one with Valor device, and a Valorous Unit Award. In 1993 he was named the U.S. Army ROTC Instructor of the Year; and

WHEREAS, in November 2010, Allen was elected to the United States Congress, representing Florida's 22nd District. As a member of the 112th Congress, he sat on the Small Business and Armed Services Committees and was instrumental in passage of the 2011 and 2012 National Defense Authorization Acts; and

WHEREAS, Lieutenant Colonel West believes it will be principled constitutional conservative policies, not politics, which secure a sound economic future for Americans, with growth, opportunity and returning the promise of the American dream for this generation and those to come through the action of an Article V Convention of the States (COS); and

WHEREAS, he is a Fox News Contributor, Director of the Booker T. Washington Initiative at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, Senior Fellow at the Media Research Center, contributing Columnist for Townhall.com, and Author of Guardian of the Republic: An American Ronin's Journey to Family, Faith and Freedom. His forthcoming book is due in the fall of 2018 from Brown Books Publishing Group. West also hosts a podcast called The Old School Patriot available on Stitcher and Apple Podcasts and his latest work can be found on Theoldschoolpatriot.com; and

WHEREAS, he is the former Executive Director of the National Center for Policy Analysis in Dallas, Texas; and

WHEREAS, Lieutenant Colonel West holds a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Tennessee as well as two Master's Degrees, one from Kansas State University and another from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff Officers College. West is an avid distance runner, a Master SCUBA Diver, a Motorcyclist, and in his spare time he enjoys cheering his beloved Tennessee Volunteers; and

WHEREAS, Lieutenant Colonel West is a Legacy Life Member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, the Association of the United States Army and the Society of the First Infantry Division, Patriot Life Member (Benefactor) and Board of Directors' member of the National Rifle Association. Lieutenant Colonel West is an inductee into the University of Tennessee Army ROTC Hall of Fame. He is on the Board of Advisors of Amegy Bank, Dallas Region. West was appointed by Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick to the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission; and

WHEREAS, he is married to Dr. Angela Graham-West, a Financial Adviser, and they have two daughters, Aubrey, who recently graduated with her Master's Degree from Southern Methodist University, now attending Physician Assistant School in West Virginia, and youngest daughter, Austen; and

WHEREAS, we acknowledge the accomplishments and historical perspectives of Colonel West as he visits our state:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby recognize the military legacy and principled constitutional background of Lieutenant Colonel and former Congressman Allen B. West and welcome him to the State of Mississippi.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to Lieutenant Colonel West, forwarded to the Governor, and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.