WHEREAS, for 100 years, Marine Corps Base Quantico, strategically located in the counties of Stafford, Prince William, and Fauquier, has been an integral base for the nation's military and an essential part of the local community; and

WHEREAS, in May 1917, the United States Marine Corps took title to the land owned by the Quantico Company and established a temporary cantonment named Marine Barracks, Quantico at the present-day location of the mainside of the base, which the United States Marine Corps used for tactical and leadership training to prepare Marines for the Western Front of Europe during World War I; and

WHEREAS, the outbreak of World War I necessitated the expansion of Marine Barracks, Quantico and, upon the conclusion of the war, the permanent establishment of Quantico as a base of Marine Corps operations; and

WHEREAS, during World War II, Marine Corps Base Quantico's training mission required the purchase of 51,000 acres of land west of U.S. Highway 1, the Guadalcanal Area, and has developed this into a premier live-fire training environment that is still widely used today; and

WHEREAS, following World War II, Marine Corps Base Quantico's mission slowly evolved from only the training of new Marines and officers to research, development, and education, as exemplified by the Marine Corps Combat Development Command, Marine Corps University, Command & Staff College, Expeditionary Warfare School, War College, and Warfighting Lab; and

WHEREAS, Marine Corps Base Quantico has been home to and has worked in support of HMX-1, the helicopter squadron responsible for serving the President of the United States as directed; and

WHEREAS, Marine Corps Base Quantico strives to preserve the valuable natural resources of the Commonwealth and supports programs to protect endangered species, including the Northern Long-Eared Bat, Dwarf Wedgemussel, Small Whorled Pogonia, and Harperella; and

WHEREAS, Marine Corps Base Quantico has continued to play a valuable role in the nation's defense efforts, transforming into an essential administrative, intelligence, logistics, and operations support role for its mission partners, including seven Marine Corps major command headquarters, nine different agencies of the United States Department of the Navy, two elements of the United States Marine Corps Reserve, and 46 United States Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Justice, and other federal agencies; and

WHEREAS, Marine Corps Base Quantico is home to 6,200 active duty military personnel and many of their families, 11,000 civilian employees, and 4,000 contract employees; in 2015, Marine Corps Base Quantico supported 47,500 direct and indirect jobs and accounted for $4.9 billion in economic impact; and

WHEREAS, from a training school for infantry to a testing ground for military projects to helping support the United States Marine Corps and DOD commands, Marine Corps Base Quantico has continued to evolve over the past century to meet America's military needs and today serves as a major support installation for the nation's senior civilian and military leadership; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Marine Corps Base Quantico on the occasion of its 100th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Colonel Joseph M. Murray, Commander, Marine Corps Base Quantico, as an expression of the General Assembly's congratulations on Marine Corps Base Quantico's 100th anniversary and admiration and respect for its many contributions to the Commonwealth and for its pivotal role in the nation's defense strategy.