AIR FORCE | Holba
LANSING | Robert Holba, a 1982 graduate of Thornton Fractional South High School, was recently promoted to the rank of colonel in the U.S. Air Force. The ceremony took place Dec. 28 at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland with many family members in attendance.
Holba graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1986 and attended undergraduate pilot training at Williams Air Force Base in Arizona.
He is rated a command pilot and has more than 6,800 flight hours. He has flown numerous aircraft and has received more than 15 major awards and decorations during his military career.
He is the son of Thomas Holba, of Lansing, and Kathy Holba (deceased) and the stepson of Jackie Holba, of Lansing. His siblings are Thomas Holba Jr., of Valparaiso; Suzanne Ross, of Bolingbrook, Ill.; William Holba, of Rye, N.Y. and Michael, of New York City. They all attended the promotion ceremony with their families. Other relatives in attendance were Madeline, Joe and Steven Zambon, all of Crete.
Holba and his wife, Jane, have four children: Nicholas, 16; Katie, 15; Alexander, 13; and Christopher, 11.
NAVY | Keith Case
Navy Seaman Apprentice Keith Case, son of Anita and James Case of Wheeler, recently completed U.S. Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill. During the eight-week program, Case completed a variety of training which included classroom study and practical instruction on naval customs, first aid, firefighting, water safety and survival, and shipboard and aircraft safety. An emphasis was also placed on physical fitness.
The capstone event of boot camp is "Battle Stations". This exercise gives recruits the skills and confidence they need to succeed in the fleet. "Battle Stations" is designed to galvanize the basic warrior attributes of sacrifice, dedication, teamwork and endurance in each recruit through the practical application of basic Navy skills and the core values of Honor, Courage and Commitment. Its distinctly "Navy" flavor was designed to take into account what it means to be a Sailor.
Case is a 2007 graduate of Wheeler High School.
ARMY | David Johnson
Army Reserve Pvt. David A. Johnson has graduated from Basic Combat training at Fort Sill, Lawton, Okla. During the nine weeks of training, the soldier studied the Army mission and received instruction and training exercises in drill and ceremonies, Army history, core values and traditions, military courtesy, military justice, physical fitness, first aid, rifle marksmanship, weapons use, map reading and land navigation, foot marches, armed and unarmed combat, and field maneuvers and tactics. Johnson is the son of David Johnson of Chesterton. The private is a 2005 graduate of Fairhaven Academy.
