Assembly Resolution No. 559

BY: M. of A. Manktelow

MEMORIALIZING Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim
May 21-27, 2023, as Military Animal Appreciation
Week, and to honor these animals for their service

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize
official days and months that are set aside to increase awareness of
serious issues that affect the lives of citizens of New York State; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim May 21-27, 2023, as
Military Animal Appreciation Week; and

WHEREAS, A generally overlooked part of our armed forces are the
military animals which stand with and alongside our brave, enlisted men
and women; and

WHEREAS, Some of these courageous military animals include dogs,
dolphins, rats, mules, donkeys, and pigeons; and

WHEREAS, Military canines are the most widely used military animal;
dogs have served in combat alongside United States soldiers during every
major conflict since the birth of our Nation; dogs were mostly used as
message carriers and sentries during the first few conflicts, however,
these days, they are trained to perform a wide-range of
highly-specialized tasks; and

WHEREAS, Modern military dogs are trained to sniff out bombs and
drugs, track people, and even attack when necessary; there are about
2,500 war dogs in service today, with about 700 serving at any given
time overseas; and

WHEREAS, The United States military branches use marine mammals in a
variety of ways; overseen by the Navy Marine Mammal Program, dolphins
use their evolved sonar to detect underwater mines; and

WHEREAS, Due to their exceptional underwater vision, the Navy Marine
Mammal Program also uses sea lions to find potential enemy swimmers near
piers and ships and draw attention to them; and

WHEREAS, The United States has their own specialized military animal
programs; in 2012, Army officials developed the Rugged Automated
Training System (RATS) to see how well the rodents could find bombs; the
use of rats could have several advantages, including their small size
which would allow them to sneak into tiny spaces where larger animals
and people cannot; and

WHEREAS, United States service members have used a variety of pack
animals in remote areas, including mules and donkeys; the practice is
especially common with elite Special Operations troops, who frequently
operate in small groups away from larger units which would provide
logistical support; and

WHEREAS, In 2001, the United States Marine Corps revived the
horsemanship skills which were once a key part of the nation's armed
forces, but were cast aside when tanks and armored vehicles replaced
them; Special Forces soldiers rode horses to fight alongside tribesmen
in rugged terrain without roads in Afghanistan; and

WHEREAS, During World War I and World War II, the Army trained tens
of thousands of birds at the Pigeon Breeding and Training Center at Fort
Monmouth, New Jersey, to deliver messages and conduct overhead
reconnaissance of battlefields; and

WHEREAS, It is appropriate for this Legislative Body to commend
these animals and to recognize their contributions by Military Animal
Appreciation Week, honoring the past and present animals for their
valuable service and protection; they truly deserve to be remembered by
all the citizens of this great Empire State; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim May 21-27, 2023, as
Military Animal Appreciation Week, and to honor these animals for their
service; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New
York.