LICENSE PLATES FOR 4TH ID, NORAD

0 Comments | Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Mar 24, 2008 | by ED SEALOVER

DENVER - Soldiers in the Army's 4th Infantry Division and those who are stationed at NORAD soon will be able to show off their workplace pride in a new way: on their license plates.

A pair of bills passing without controversy through the Colorado General Assembly this year will create plates bearing the insignia of the two military organizations, bringing to 31 the number of special plates with military themes.

The creation of these new plates is an annual ritual in the Legislature, one that has produced 59 special plates for the military, alumni of certain colleges and fans of certain causes. Support education? Get a plate to say so. Want to battle breast cancer? Buy a plate and let the world know.

Many of the existing military plates are limited to motorists who meet specified qualifications: Bronze Star winners, Pearl Harbor survivors, Purple Heart recipients.

Others are more wide-ranging, allowing, for example, members of the Air Force, Army and Coast Guard to identify themselves to other drivers.

The two newest plates, which are likely to get final approval in the coming weeks, are somewhat unusual in their specificity.

One bill, by Rep. Stella Garza Hicks, R-Colorado Springs, is the first to create a plate for a specific unit, the 4th Infantry Division, which is gradually moving its members to Fort Carson during the next few years.

Founded in 1917, the unit has taken part in some of the biggest battles of the past century, from the D-Day landing in World War II to Operation Red Dawn, which led to the capture of Saddam Hussein.

James Qualteri, a Golden resident and member of the unit from 1989-92, said being a part of the 4th ID made him a more confident person.

He suggested the plate and said recently he thinks every member of the unit may get one, as well as people who are just fans of it.

"If you were to ask me how many people will get it, I'd say about 20,000," Qualteri said.

Another bill, by Sen. Dave Schultheis, R-Colorado Springs, commemorates the 50th anniversary of the creation of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, an American-Canadian military alliance that operates out of Cheyenne Mountain and patrols the countries' air space. The tag would be available for only one year - - 2009.

Schultheis, who had not carried a license plate bill in his eight- year legislative career before this, said he thinks it's appropriate to honor the organization.

Col. Mike Perini, NORAD's director of public affairs, said the plate will honor the men and women who have worked there and, with its twin U.S. and Canadian flags, send a positive signal to Canadians participating in the mission.

In the end, the creation of license plates is not among the heaviest lifting that legislators do.

But these small gestures may mean a lot more for the people who glance at the car in front of them and realize the support the state gives these groups, Hicks said.

"It just shows that indeed they are being thanked in a small fashion," she said.

Both plates are expected to be available Jan. 1 for a one-time fee of $50.

CONTACT THE WRITER: (303) 837-0613 or ed.sealover@gazette.com