WHEREAS, the Alpha Company of the Third Battalion, 124th Infantry Division of the 53rd Infantry Brigade of the Florida National Guard is based in Leon County, Florida; and

WHEREAS, the men of Tallahassee’s Alpha Company have been called to service in Iraq, and are now engaged in important and dangerous operations in that country; and

WHEREAS, the family members of the men of Alpha Company have formed a family support organization, called Honoring Our Own American Heroes, or HOOAH; and

WHEREAS, the mission of HOOAH is to provide emotional and financial support to family members of Alpha Company personnel during deployments, and to sponsor programs and events for Alpha Company members, their families, and the community at large; and

WHEREAS, the families of military service personnel deployed in combat zones bear a much greater share of the emotional and financial burden of war; and

WHEREAS, the families of Alpha Company’s HOOAH organization have demonstrated courage, solidarity, and grace under pressure during a difficult time in our nation’s history.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEON COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS that the families of Alpha Company and their support organization HOOAH are hereby recognized as

in Leon County, Florida. We honor the altruism and selfless sacrifice of their soldiers and their families, and recognize the fundamental truth that HOOAH families bear the greatest share of the burden of the Iraq war for all the people of Leon County. We pledge our support of HOOAH, and pledge to display the yellow ribbon of hope at the County Courthouse, until such time as the men of Alpha Company are reunited with their families and their community.

DATED this 9th day of December, A.D., 2003.