House Concurrent Resolution 23

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE DISTINGUISHED AND MERITORIOUS SERVICE OF LIEUTENANT COLONEL DR. MICHAEL B. HOGAN, RENDERED TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND CONGRATULATING HIM UPON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT.

WHEREAS, upon providing nearly three decades of selfless and meritorious service to the United States as a member of the nation's elite fraternity of Armed Forces personnel, Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Michael B. Hogan, officially retired from the United States Air Force, effective September 30, 2017, after having previously served in the two other branches of the United States Military, the United States Marine Corps and the South Carolina Army National Guard; and

WHEREAS, having initially enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in October 1983, where he completed his basic training regiment on the burning sands of Parris Island, South Carolina, in January 1984, Lieutenant Colonel Hogan soon thereafter embarked upon a seven-year career with the Devil Dogs, which consisted of: completion of Defense Mapping School at Fort Belvoir, Virginia (April 1984 through July 1984); two-year assignment at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina (July 1984 through April 1986); completion of Embassy Guard School at Quantico, Virginia (April 1986 through July 1986); Embassy Guard assignments to the United States Embassies in Paris, France (July 1986 through October 1987); Beijing, China (October 1987 through October 1988); and Dhaka, Bangladesh (October 1988 through January 1989); and completed a one-year assignment as an engineer with the Marine Corps Station in Cherry Point, North Carolina, which began in January 1989 before separating from the Corps in January 1990; and

WHEREAS, in keeping with the motto of the United States Marine Corps, "Semper Fidelis," which translates into "always faithful," Lieutenant Colonel Hogan remained faithful to service of his fellowmen by working as a full-time police officer in Greenwood, South Carolina, even during his undergraduate matriculation at Lander University, which he completed in only three years while simultaneously serving South Carolina Army National Guard in numerous capacities during the course of his service, including: Signal Company in Abbeville, South Carolina (March 1992 through June 1994); completing Officer Training School at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, during the summer of 1994; and being commissioned as an Artillery Officer in August 1994, which facilitated his two-year Armory assignment in Clinton, South Carolina (August 1994 through July 1996); and

WHEREAS, his selfless dedication and exceptional leadership skills positioned Lieutenant Colonel Hogan as a prime candidate for a Medical School Scholarship Program with the United States Air Force, for which he was commissioned after resigning his Army commission as a Lieutenant in July 1996, before commencing his medical studies at the University of South Carolina Medical School one month later and completing the course of study in May 2000 as an United States Air Force Lieutenant; and

WHEREAS, equipped with a wealth of leadership experience and vast educational and clinical knowledge, Lieutenant Colonel Hogan, whose passion for public service is innately embedded in his DNA as the son of Richard Hogan, a United States Navy Electronics Technician and grandson of John W. McBride, a United States Army World War II Infantry veteran, opted to use his hands for healing rather than combat, and completed his general surgery residency at Keesler Air Force Base, Biloxi, Mississippi (January 2005), and served as General Surgeon with Special Operational Surgical Team at Hulburt Field Air Force Base, Fort Walton Beach, Florida (July 2005 through June 2008), and completed a Vascular Surgery Fellowship at the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, Tennessee (June 2008 through July 2010), before returning to Keesler in June 2010 as a Vascular Surgeon; and

WHEREAS, since his return to Keesler, Lieutenant Colonel Hogan has worked zealously to be the impetus of change, riding the cusp of innovation to implement the base's vascular program and initiated a sharing agreement with the Gulf Coast Veterans Affairs Medical Center for the treatment of veterans; and

WHEREAS, a humble man who bleeds red, white and blue, Lieutenant Colonel Hogan has sacrificed countless hours away from his family in fulfillment of the needs of this country, in honor and in furtherance of the oath he affirmed when he joined the illustrious vanguard of servicemen and women who comprise the rolls of the United States Armed Forces, as indicated by having served five deployments in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, including: two tours of duty to the Philippines as a Special Ops General Surgeon; South America on classified assignment as a Special Ops General Surgeon; and two tours of duty to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, as a Vascular Surgeon with the 455th Expeditionary Force; and

WHEREAS, Lieutenant Colonel Hogan wears his allegiance to the stars and stripes of our nation's banner with pride, a pride that he instills in the very hearts and minds of those American heroes whose lives he has saved in defense of our liberties, by allowing them to experience the reaffirmed support, security and feel the safety afforded by the United States of America while receiving medical attention in the medical unit, which proudly displayed the American Flag upon the ceiling of the receiving wing; and

WHEREAS, throughout the last two decades of his esteemed, reputable and iconic career, Lieutenant Colonel Hogan has enjoyed the overwhelming love and support of his family, wife, Sonya Hogan, and six children, one of whom, Richard Trevor Hogan, chose to answer the call to national service like his father, grandfather and great-grandfather before him by serving as an Electronics Technician Third Class with the United States Navy aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, and Conor Robert Hogan, Evan Patrick Hogan, Daniel Michael Hogan, Katerina Emma Hogan and Bryce Lee Hogan, all of whom have been a source of inspiration in his continued pursuit of excellence in service to mankind; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of this Legislature to recognize the singularly distinctive career and accomplishments of such an immensely gallant individual as Lieutenant Colonel Hogan, whose service to these United States and its global allies have culminated in a long and distinguished career and reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commend the distinguished and meritorious service of Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Michael B. Hogan, rendered to the United States of America, congratulate him upon the occasion of his retirement and extend best wishes for continued success in all of his future endeavors while enjoying the lighter years of life.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Michael B. Hogan and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.