Fort Rucker's 6th Military Police Detachment, in concert with the 906th Military Working Dog Detachment were honored during a special award presentation at the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence headquarters building Feb. 11, 2020.
The unit received the Brig. Gen. David H. Stem Award trophy, which is awarded annually to the most outstanding military police unit in the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command.
Gen. Paul E. Funk II, TRADOC commanding general, along with Command. Sgt. Maj. Timothy A. Guden, TRADOC command sergeant major, presented the trophy.
"Many times you are the first face anybody sees as they arrive at one of our gates," Funk said. "You are the one that goes and enters that door, clears that room, and makes a big difference in somebody's life when they're in a crisis.
"You're the ones that have to maintain your deployability, your readiness, and your ability to interact with people every day. You must represent our great Army professionally and personally, with an eye towards excellence all the time. That's what you're charged to do. You've done it as a unit, as a great representative of our nation and a tremendous representation of Training and Doctrine Command. I'm incredibly proud of you," Funk said.
Funk also commended the leadership of Capt. Robert J. Berchild, 6th and 906th Military Police Detachment commander, and Sgt. 1st Class Kevin D. Lindsey, detachment sergeant, who received the award.
"You don't achieve these kinds of awards without having great leadership, so thanks for what you do. Excellence is contagious, and leadership matters," Funk said.
Funk said he was impressed with the Soldiers' achievements, but more so that they can maintain their families and their readiness, and they understand what it means to serve.
"You join the Army to get a vocation, but you stay because you love it," Funk said.
Maj. Gen. David J. Francis, USAACE and Fort Rucker commanding general, lauded the unit for their efforts in taking care of a population of more than 20,000 people who live, work and play on Fort Rucker daily.
"The critical mission that they provide here every day is absolutely essential to our being able to operate and do our mission here at Fort Rucker. The fact that you can do that, and maintain your deployable status is a testament to each and every one of you, your leadership and your determination and resolve to be the very best--and today we get to show that you are," Francis said.
Col. William J. Benner, TRADOC command provost marshal, explained the competition criteria, and said the unit was truly deserving of the recognition.
To compete for the award, units are scrutinized by a board of military police senior leaders, and graded across the categories including readiness and deploy-ability, military police focus, history, innovation, training and telling your story.
In addition to routine law enforcement reports, traffic cases and investigations, the unit supported more than 190 events including Fort Rucker's large scale Freedom Fest event.
Among their accomplishments, they were one of the first detachments in TRADOC to certify all their military working dog teams, and the unit has deployed Soldiers to Egypt, Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait, according to Benner.
"They were committed to professional leadership development programs, partner city initiatives, and volunteering for programs such as the Hurricane Michael relief efforts," Benner said.
Benner said people are sometimes surprised to learn that TRADOC, which his responsible for the Army profession, ethics, values and leader development, includes a number of deployable military police detachments and working dog units, as well as airfield security across the command.
"These military police units are in the global force pool, and represent the majority of TRADOC's deployable assets," Benner said. "These units have the enduring challenge of balancing their combat readiness with their 24-7 law enforcement mission."
TRADOC currently has military police and working dogs deployed around the world, he said.
Looking out over a crowded room of familiar faces of Soldiers under his command, as well as their families, and including a military working dog in the crowd sitting next to his handler, Berchild commended the team.
"I am honored and humbled to accept this award on behalf of these outstanding detachments. Professional military police, working dog handlers and firefighters sitting before us in this room represent the very best of what TRADOC and the Army has to offer," Berchild said.
The unit will now be considered for recognition at the Department of the Army level as TRADOC's nominee.
| Date Taken: | 02.11.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 04.27.2021 13:41 |
| Story ID: | 394882 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 145 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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