[First Reprint]

SENATE RESOLUTION No. 6

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION

By Senator CARDINALE

A Senate Resolution memorializing the Congress of the United States to pass H.R. 2540.

Whereas, Army Specialist Michael New ¹[is] ,¹ an American soldier ¹[currently]¹ stationed in Germany ¹[whose unit is] , was¹ scheduled to be deployed ¹with his unit¹ in Macedonia as part of a United Nations "peacekeeping" contingent; and

Whereas, This assignment ¹[is one in which] required¹ American soldiers ¹[are required]¹ to wear such UN insignia as a UN beret and a UN arm band and to serve under a foreign UN commander; and

Whereas, Specialist New ¹[has]¹ expressed his unwillingness to wear the uniform of the UN because he ¹[regards] regarded¹ the UN as a foreign power and he ¹[has] had¹ taken no oath to the UN; and

Whereas, The United States Army ¹[has announced its intention to court-martial] court-martialed¹ Specialist New for his refusal to obey his commander's order to wear the UN insignia while on the peacekeeping mission to the former Yugoslavia; and

¹Whereas, Specialist New has received a bad conduct discharge; and¹

Whereas, A soldier's oath is to the United States Constitution and not to the United Nations charter, and forcing soldiers to wear the uniform of the United Nations effectively asks the soldier to serve another power; and

Whereas, Wearing UN insignia would put soldiers in conflict with their sworn allegiance to the Constitution and commanders have no legal basis for forcing soldiers to do so; and

Whereas, H.R.2540, sponsored by Representative Tom DeLay of Texas, would prohibit any member of the armed forces from being required "to wear as part of the uniform any badge, symbol, helmet, headgear, or other visible indicia or insignia which indicates (or tends to indicate) any allegiance or affiliation to or with the United Nations"; and

Whereas, While this bill would not affect Specialist New, it is important to prevent any such similar incident from arising in the future; now, therefore,

    Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:

    1. This House respectfully memorializes the Congress of the United States to pass H.R.2540, which would prohibit any member of the armed forces from being required "to wear as part of the uniform any badge, symbol, helmet, headgear, or other visible indicia or insignia which indicates (or tends to indicate) any allegiance or affiliation to or with the United Nations".

    2. A duly authenticated copy of this resolution, signed by the President of the Senate and attested by the Secretary thereof, shall be transmitted to the presiding officers of the United States Senate and House of Representatives and to each member of Congress elected from this State.

Memorializes Congress to pass H.R. 2540 prohibiting a member of the armed forces from being required to wear U.N. insignia.