February 17, 2015

Bolinsky, Sredzinski Work to Maintain Current Horse Guard Commandant Leadership

This article was archived from the previous WordPress site. Formatting and media should be close, but may not match the original post perfectly.

NEWTOWN- State Representatives Mitch Bolinsky (R-106) & J.P. Sredzinski (R-112) testified on in front of the legislature’s Veterans Committee, in support of a bill increasing the retirement age for Horse Guard commandants.

According to House Bill 6713, An Act Increasing the Retirement Age for the Horse Guard Commandants the proposal would extend the retirement age for the horse guard commandants to seventy years of age.

“As someone who represents a portion of Newtown, I am proud to say that the Second Company Governor’s Horse Guard is a part of that rich history and does a tremendous amount of work to keep that history alive. This is a measure that will help the Horse Guard continue to the good work it has been doing under their current leadership,” said Rep. Sredzinski.

Rep. Bolinsky said, “The Second Company Governor’s Horse Guard is one of the last active-duty cavalry militia units in the United States. It is living history and one of Newtown’s true treasures. By extending the retirement age as proposed, this special unit that calls Newtown home, can continue under the command of a very special leader, Major Gordon Johnson.”

Since 1808, the Second Company Governor’s Horse Guard has served at the Governors pleasure. Troopers perform mounted military drill and ceremonial musical rides, in addition to State forest mounted patrols, search and rescue, special needs riding programs.

Deputy Republican Leader Laura Hoydick, (R-120) who co-introduced this proposal; testified during the public hearing that, “Due to the nature of these particular militia units and the fact that they serve on a volunteer basis and elect their own leadership, I support extending the retirement age of the Major Commandant to 70 years old.”

Former Major Commandant of the First Company Governor’s Horse Guard Michael Downes in written testimony wrote, “I believe this proposed change is one that will have a positive impact on the volunteer service rendered to the state by its horse guard companies. It will help preserve the institutional knowledge and capacity of these companies, and will ultimately improve morale and volunteer retention, which are essential to the success of these militias.”