[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 82 (Tuesday, May 24, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S3096]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO COLONEL ROBERT ERICKSON

 Mr. DAINES. Mr. President:

       Whereas, Colonel Erickson served in the United States Air 
     Force for twenty-five years and is retiring from his current 
     position as the Air National Guard Advisor to the Commander, 
     Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, Joint Base 
     San Antonio--Randolph, Texas; and,
       Whereas, he is husband to Colonel Megan Erickson and father 
     to Margaret Jean and John William; and,
       Whereas, he ascended Montana mountain peaks in his youth 
     with his cousin Steve Daines, current United States Senator 
     for Montana; and,
       Whereas, Colonel Erickson graduated from the United States 
     Air Force Academy in 1991 as a Cadet Wing Commander and with 
     a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science with a 
     minor in Russian Language; and,
       Whereas, Colonel Erickson has logged more than 3,100 flight 
     hours since he first earned his wings in April 1993 and has 
     subsequently served in various flying assignments, including 
     instructor pilot and flight commander; and,
       Whereas, his call sign was Leif, in honor of his Norwegian 
     grandfather Harold Erickson;
       Whereas, from July 1999 to July 2002 he served as Assistant 
     Director of Operations and Flight Commander, Instructor Pilot 
     and Evaluation Pilot in the 12th and 44th Fighter Squadrons 
     out of Kadena Air Base, Japan; and,
       Whereas, upon Colonel Erickson's return from Japan in 2002, 
     he joined the Oregon Air National Guard at Kingsley Field, 
     Klamath Falls, Oregon. During his time there, he served as an 
     Instructor Pilot, Evaluation Pilot, Assistant Weapons 
     Officer, Chief of Academics, Chief of Scheduling, Chief of 
     Standardization and Evaluation, Director of Operations, and 
     Squadron Commander of the 114th Fighter Squadron; and,
       Whereas, Colonel Erickson summited Mount Rainier with three 
     combat injured veterans in 2009--Ryan Job, former Navy SEAL; 
     Chad Jukes, Army reservist; and Jose Martinez, former Marine; 
     and,
       Whereas, in March 2011 Colonel Erickson was selected as the 
     Director of Operations (A3) for the Oregon Air National Guard 
     and served in that position for six months. In September 
     2011, he then served for the next three years as the Air 
     National Guard Advisor to the Director of Intelligence, 
     Operations and Nuclear Integration at Air Education and 
     Training Command in Joint Base San Antonio--Randolph, Texas; 
     and,
       Whereas, his incredible hard work, leadership and 
     dedication to the Air Force has earned him sixteen major 
     awards and decorations, some of which are the Air Force 
     Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, Air Force 
     Outstanding Unit Award with four oak leaf clusters, Armed 
     Forces Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service 
     Medal and Air Force Longevity Service with four oak leaf 
     clusters.
       Now, Therefore, be it Resolved, this twenty-sixth day of 
     May, in the year of our Lord two thousand sixteen, and of the 
     Independence of the United States of America the two hundred 
     and fortieth, we honor Colonel Robert Erickson.

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