2015 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 45
BY SENATORS ADLEY, ALARIO, ALLAIN, AMEDEE, APPEL, BROOME, BROWN,
BUFFINGTON, CHABERT, CLAITOR, CORTEZ, CROWE,
DONAHUE, DORSEY-COLOMB, ERDEY, GALLOT, GUILLORY,
HEITMEIER, JOHNS, KOSTELKA, LAFLEUR, LONG, MARTINY,
MILLS, MORRELL, MORRISH, MURRAY, NEVERS, PEACOCK,
PERRY, PETERSON, RISER, GARY SMITH, JOHN SMITH,
TARVER, THOMPSON, WALSWORTH, WARD AND WHITE
A RESOLUTION
To express the sincere condolences of the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana to the
family of Louisiana Army National Guard Staff Sergeant Thomas Florich upon his
death.
WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Thomas Florich of Fairfax County, Virginia, enlisted in
the Louisiana Army National Guard in 2007, as a Black Hawk repairer, served state
deployments for Operation Deepwater Horizon and Hurricane Isaac, earning more than one
hundred twenty-five flight hours, and was also a graduate of the warrior leader course; and
WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Thomas Florich was a member of A Company, 1st
Assault Helicopter Battalion, 244th Aviation Regiment, headquartered in Hammond,
Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Florich was living in Baton Rouge as he served in the
guard while he attended Louisiana State University, and his family believed that he intended
to make a career in the military after completing college; and
WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Florich was twenty-six years old when he and his crew
flew out of Eglin Air Force Base near Pensacola, Florida, on March 10, 2015, to engage in
a nighttime water insertion operation with Marine Special Operations Command personnel
from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina; and
WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Florich and his crew planned to fly the Marines to a site
off shore and allow them to fast rope down to the water and then swim ashore, in a technique
typically used for reconnaissance missions, but the aircraft, without warning, suddenly
crashed into Santa Rosa Sound and all aboard perished; and
WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Florich was married and leaves behind his wife, and
father and stepmother; and
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WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Florich was preceded in death by his mother who died
while he was a child; and
WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Florich's awards and decorations include the Army
Achievement Medal, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal with Oak Leaf
Cluster, National Defense Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional
Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Army Reserve Components Overseas Training
Ribbon, Coast Guard Special Operations Service Ribbon, Louisiana Emergency Service
Ribbon with Oak Leaf Cluster, Louisiana General Excellence Ribbon, Louisiana Longevity
Ribbon, and the Basic Aviation Badge.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
does hereby extend its deepest and most profound condolences to the family of Louisiana
Army National Guard Staff Sergeant Thomas Florich for their immeasurable loss and his
brave service.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
family of Staff Sergeant Thomas Florich.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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