VP Biden Gives Shout-Out to Police Lieutenant's Daughter at U.S. Coast Guard Commencement

Holli Bastinck, a Wayne resident and the daughter of Fair Lawn Police Lt. Derek Bastinck, received her commission from the U.S. Coast Guard on May 22 and will serve on the CGC Spencer in Boston as a deck watch officer.

The crew of the CGC Spencer has routinely helped seize illegal drugs and repatriate migrants since it was commissioned in 1986. The crew helped rescue more than 33,000 stranded civilians in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Bastinck, who was the Passaic County Coaches Association Athlete of the Year as a senior at Wayne Hills High School and a collegiate All-American in softball, also excelled off the field. The government major was cadet regimental commander and won awards at the International Law Conference Competition in Italy this spring.

She got to shake hands with Vice President Joe Biden at her commencement ceremony and the veep even mentioned her in his speech to the graduating cadets.

“Class of 2013, you didn’t just heed the call, you relished the challenge," Biden reportedly said to the graduates. "On the playing field you excelled. You’ve been named All-American, All-Conference, All-New England, went off on international debating competitions. Holli earned First Team All-American in softball and more important, her team won three state NEWMAC tournament championships."

Bastinck's father, Derek, a 17-year veteran of the force, has some pretty serious athletic chops of his own. The Fair Lawn High School graduate was an all-state catcher at Ramapo College and was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in 1985. Following a three-year minor league career in the Tigers and New York Mets organizations, he served as both assistant wrestling and assistant football coach at Fair Lawn High School from 1989 to 1995.

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