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Sen. Schmidt
appointed as co-chair over veterans' and military affairs
committee
September 29,
2005
OLYMPIA - Sen.
Dave Schmidt, R-Mill Creek, was recently chosen by his peers
to co-chair the Joint Committee on Veterans’ and Military
Affairs, the organization that oversees the state military
department and sees to the care and treatment of Washington
state veterans.
“This is a very timely honor,” said Schmidt, a 22-year
member of the Army National Guard. “In light of the recent
Gulf Coast hurricanes we’re going to be taking a very close
look at our state’s emergency response plans over the next
year. From first responders to emergency services in local
hospitals; from public information campaigns in the event of a
natural disaster or terrorist attack to properly-sighted
emergency command and control centers, we’re going to put
everything under the microscope.”
Schmidt said his two decades of experience in the Army
National Guard will help bring credible, real-life ideas and
strategies to the committee’s forefront.
“Knowing how our first responders think and act and knowing
how the guard mobilizes and the standard equipment they bring
to bear in the event of an emergency will help bring a
realistic perspective to the committee,” Schmidt said. “I
imagine the next year or so is going to be monumentally
important as far as our state’s preparations and practices
go in the event we experience a natural disaster or terrorist
attack.”
Serving alongside Schmidt as co-chair of the committee is Rep.
Dawn Morrell, D-Puyallup. With both the Washington State
Senate and the Washington State House of Representatives
controlled by Democrats, Sen. Schmidt becomes the only
Republican co-chair of a committee.
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