St. Charles Wins Two Awards For Military Support

From The City of St. Charles: Both the St. Charles Fire and Police Departments were recognized for their support of military employees at two recent City Council meetings. The Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, a program of the Department of Defense, presented the departments with award. Both departments were nominated for the awards by two active duty National Guardsmen.

At the May 15 City Council meeting, Firefighter Paramedic Drew Perry accepted the Above and Beyond Award on behalf of the Fire Department, along with Mayor Ray Rogina and Fire Chief Joe Schelstreet. Perry is being deployed soon to serve his U.S. Army National Guard service commitment, which is expected to last nine months. The Above and Beyond Award recognizes employers who have gone above and beyond the legal requirements of employing military service members.

Then, at the June 5 City Council meeting, Police Chief Jim Keegan accepted the Patriot Award on behalf of the Police Department, along with Officer Michael Karnath and Mayor Rogina. Officer Karnath served two tours of duty in Iraq with the Army in 2006 and 2008, and has served in the Wisconsin National Guard since 2010. Karnath nominated Chief Keegan for accommodating his continued service in the National Guard. The Patriot Award recognizes efforts made to support service members, including supporting flexible schedules and time off prior to and after deployment.

The City of St. Charles firmly believes in supporting military service and celebrating our military service members—both past and present. 30 of our employees, or about 10% of our work force, are either veterans or active duty service members. They work in several departments throughout our organization: Information Systems, Public Works, Building Code & Enforcement, Police and Fire.

“Here at the City of St. Charles, we emphasize service as a core part of our mission,” said City Administrator Mark Koenen. “We are extremely proud of our military employees for serving both our nation and our community, and we are honored to receive these awards.”

For more information about the ESGR and the ESGR Awards Programs, visit their website http://www.esgr.mil/.

Image Courtesy of The City of St. Charles