WHEREAS, the U.S. Army Reserve 321^st Engineer battalion, a long- time Idaho Army Reserve Unit comprised of Army Reserve citizen-soldiers, many from the state of Idaho, has returned from fighting the War on Terror, having served in the Iraqi war zone from September 2006 to September 2007; and

        WHEREAS, the soldiers of the 321^st Engineer Battalion provided extremely valuable service under dangerous conditions for other soldiers and Marines and to the Iraqi people through route clearance in the Al Anbar Province, Iraq, by locating and helping to safely detonate Improvised Explosive Devises(IEDs), having cleared more than 87,000 kilometers of road and defeated over 800 IEDs; and

        WHEREAS, this work of the 321^st Engineer Battalion has enabled the Coalition Forces and the Iraqi people to move more safely through their area of responsibility, saved many lives and improved conditions for soldiers and civilians. At the same time their work has allowed the Iraqi citizens of the area to begin rebuilding their region and economy; and

        WHEREAS, the soldiers of the Army Reserve 321^st Engineer Battalion sustained significant casualties while serving their country, including six soldiers killed in action and 93 soldiers wounded in action;

        NOW, THEREFORE, I, C.L. “Butch” Otter, Governor of the State of Idaho, do hereby proclaim September 16^th, 2007, to be

U.S. ARMY RESERVE 321ST ENGINEER BATTALION DAY

in Idaho.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused to be affixed the Great Seal of the State of Idaho in Boise on this 11th day of September in the year of our Lord two-thousand and seven and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred thirty-second and of the Statehood of Idaho the one hundred eighteenth.

BEN YSURSA
SECRETARY OF STATE