Eddie Kohley

As a squad leader in the United States Marine Corps infantry, Eddie Kohley led a squad of fellow Marines. He left the Corps as a Sergeant with the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, a decorated combat infantry veteran. Eddie Kohley's life now unfolds in Saint Charles, Illinois, where he mentors, coaches, and raises his children, with service to others, coaching, and family time outdoors at the center of it all. This biography traces that path in sequence, starting in uniform and arriving at the present. He fought in Sangin, Afghanistan, and while there he trained alongside CIA agents and went on patrols with them. His service also involved training and patrols with numerous other military forces in many parts of the world, and it reached South Korea, Thailand, Japan, and further destinations. By the time he left the Marine Corps, he had earned the rank of Sergeant in the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines. His decorations speak to what he did in combat and to his service record as a whole. The list opens with the Combat Action Ribbon and the Navy Unit Commendation, followed by the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, which carries two stars for service across two campaign phases. For his part in the international mission in Afghanistan, he holds the NATO Medal for ISAF Afghanistan. He was twice awarded the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon for repeated qualifying deployments, and the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal marks a period of honorable service. Also on the list are the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, a Certificate of Appreciation, and a Letter of Appreciation. Wrestling is the next chapter. Eddie Kohley counts 10 years as a wrestling coach, working with local programs as well as at the national level, which sits among the top tiers of the sport throughout the United States. Those ten years of coaching and mentoring have given him regular, direct time with athletes.