SR-174, As Adopted by Senate, August 13, 2014

            Senator Green offered the following resolution:

            Senate Resolution No. 174.

A resolution recognizing the retirement of Eric J. Koch after more than twenty years of service to the United States Coast Guard.

Whereas, Chief Boatswain’s Mate Eric J. Koch is retiring after twenty-two years of       meritorious service with the United States Coast Guard; and

Whereas, That service included rescuing thousands of Haitian citizens at sea who were attempting to flee their country during that country’s government collapse and participating in the initial invasion of Haiti to re-establish elected government while serving aboard the USCGC Northland during Operation Able Manner during 1992-1994; and

Whereas, His service also included leading some 200 rescue missions, saving about 50 lives on the Saginaw Bay and Saginaw River in the summer boating and winter ice fishing seasons, while serving at the USCG Station Saginaw River during 1994-1998; and

Whereas, Chief Koch led some 50 rescue missions, saving approximately 15 lives on both Lake Michigan and Lake Charlevoix, while stationed at USCG Station Charlevoix from 1998 to 2005. During this time, as boarding officer, he also handled ten boating-while-intoxicated cases and performed well over 250 boating safety inspections; and

Whereas,  His service included performing as a small boat coxswain, delivering an EMT to a sailing vessel having a crew onboard with a broken arm during the 2005-2006 Mackinac race. Chief Koch’s skills during that rough water assistance earned him a nomination as the Ninth District Coast Guard Sailor of the Year; and

Whereas, Performing as executive petty officer at USCG Station Tawas, Chief Koch served as supervisor for 24 personnel and chief budget officer for that station from 2006 to 2009; and

Whereas, He participated in two counternarcotic patrols off Central America, apprehending 15 drug traffickers with several tons of cocaine bound for American shores, having a street value well over $500 million, while serving on the USCGC Sherman during 2009-2011; and

Whereas, During 2011-2014, Chief Koch served as Ready for Operations inspector at SFO Grand Haven and inspected eight USCG Search and Rescue Stations from Frankfort, Michigan, to Michigan City, Indiana. He set a very high standard for inspections and recommended two of these stations to receive the Sumner Kimball Award for outstanding readiness. During this period, Chief Koch was also deployed to California to train several international navies, including those from Nigeria and Bangladesh, on the operation of several USCG high endurance cutters that were decommissioned and sold to those countries; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate, That we highly commend and thank native Michigander Chief Boatswain’s Mate Eric J. Koch for his bravery and valor in service to his country for twenty-two years in the United States Coast Guard. We offer our congratulations and best wishes to Chief Koch on the occasion of his well-deserved retirement.