[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 154 (Friday, October 14, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1877]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     TO HONOR ERIC STRANSKY FOR HIS SERVICE TO THE SOCIAL SECURITY 
                ADMINISTRATION AND HIS MILITARY SERVICE

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. STEVEN C. LaTOURETTE

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 14, 2011

  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Eric Stransky, who 
recently retired after 35 years with the Social Security 
Administration, with 28 of those years in management.
  Stransky has been a tenacious advocate for my constituents in need of 
help from the Painesville, OH, Social Security office, and has been a 
trusted and reliable source who has worked closely with my caseworkers 
to get problems resolved. He is a model employee and his departure will 
leave Social Security with very big shoes to fill.
  A graduate of John Carroll University, Stransky has been lauded for 
his work at the SSA, and received a Regional Commissioner Citation for 
leading a workgroup that resolved over 5,000 overpayments in six weeks. 
He's been a Supervisor at many SSA locations in Ohio--Marietta, Athens, 
Painesville, Cleveland East and University Circle Area. In 1998, 
Stransky served as the Area System Coordinator ensuring a smooth 
transition for all employees in Northern Ohio to individual desktop 
system access.
  Stransky managed the local Euclid office for two years, Warrensville 
Heights for three years, and spent eight years working just a few 
blocks from my district office in Painesville while juggling a two-year 
stint in the U.S. Army as a Senior Joint Doctrine Developer at the 
Joint and Allied Doctrine Division, Army Capabilities Integration 
Center in Ft. Monroe, VA.
  Retired Lt. Col. Eric Stransky served in the US Army Reserve for more 
than 29 years. He attended the following Military Schools: Armor 
Officer Basic; Junior Officer Preventive Maintenance Course; Armor 
Officer Professional Development Course; OPSEC Course; Special Warfare 
Center and School, PSYOP Officer Course; Armor Officer Advance Course; 
United States Army Command & General Staff College; United Kingdom 
PSYOP Officer Course; Physical Security Course; Individual Terrorism 
Awareness; Logistics Managers Course; Joint PSYOP Course; Joint 
Planning Orientation Course; Joint PSYOP Staff Planning Course; Faculty 
Development Phase 1 Course and Commanders Safety Course. In June 1995, 
then a Major, he was Chief of Psychological Operations at a United 
Nations Mission in Haiti.
  Stransky commissioned in the Army Reserve as a Second Lt. in July 
1978 and continued to move up through the ranks, ultimately promoted to 
Lt. Col. in April 2000. He retired in August 2006, but remains actively 
involved with the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and 
Catholic War Veterans.
  Stransky has received the following Military honors: Legion of Merit; 
Army Meritorious Service Medal (3); Army Commendation Medal (2); Joint 
Service Achievement Medal; Army Achievement Medal; Army Reserve 
Achievement Medal (7); National Defense Service Medal w/star; Global 
War on Terrorism Service Medal; Armed Forces Service Medal; Military 
Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal; Armed Forces Reserve Medal (with 
silver hour glass and M(2) device); Reserve Component ODT Ribbon (6) 
and United Nations Mission in Haiti Medal.
  Stransky has a great wit and a tremendous work ethic, and clearly can 
juggle many tasks at once with little effort. His military service has 
provided him with tremendous discipline and his attention to detail and 
process has catapulted the various Social Security offices he's managed 
into well-oiled, highly efficient, responsive and successful offices 
where both the employees and constituents are well served. He's a 
motivator who gets results.
  With his remarkable career and his decades of service to our country, 
you might suspect that Eric Stransky is an Eagle Scout as well. And 
alas, he is.
  It's been an honor and a privilege for me and my staff to work with a 
man whose goal in life is to help others, and it's a tough task to show 
him an appropriate level of gratitude. I'm sorry to see him go because 
he was one of a kind. He's served our nation and those in need with 
heart and purpose, and I wish him and his loving family all the best. 
Please enjoy your well-deserved retirement.

                          ____________________