Special Forces Make Appearances at Sheriff's Breakfast
Sheriff Casey Salisbury hosted multiple speakers at the monthly Sheriff’s Breakfast held at the Little Creek Casino including Chief Warrant Officer Bruce Barker and Congressman Derek Kilmer who spoke of our active military personnel as well as veteran services. Student members of the Shelton High School NNDCC presented the flags to start the meeting. Several service awards were also presented to members and volunteers for the Mason County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff Casey Salisbury said, ”Two things I try very hard to support in our community are our children and our veterans.” Salisbury also said, “I don’t think we’re where we should be taking care of the kids coming home and our veterans.” Referring to the members of the 1st Special Forces Group from JBLM Sheriff Salisbury said, “It is a great honor to be here with this group of men.”
Sheriff Salisbury thanked Congressman Derek Kilmer for his care and concern shown during a recent homicide-suicide tragedy in Mason County and mentioned that Kilmer placed multiple calls offering support during the investigation. Congressman Derek Kilmer spoke about the services his office provides to veterans to help navigate federal government agencies including the I.R.S. and the V.A.
Chief Barker was invited from the First Special Forces Group based at Joint Base Lewis McChord to make an informative presentation on the Special Forces. Chief Criminal Deputy Russ Osterhout introduced the group of soldiers by explaining “Quiet Professional”:
CW3 Barker shared some of the mission goals of this storied military group commonly referred to as the Green Berets whose motto De Oppresso Libre means Free the Oppressed. Barker mentioned that small scale offensive actions are only part of their core mission and that many of their deployments include assessing populations and articulating the needs of the people on the ground to shape the environment to better serve US goals. Members of these teams receive extensive education in languages and cultures and are sent worldwide to support other militaries through training and as advisors.
Awards presentations preceded the guest speakers. Sheriff Salisbury presented Civil Clerk Angel Evans with the Administration Support Person of the Year 2015. Evans was honored for her dedication to excellence in all areas of her work and was specifically commended for her support in taking on the extra duty of Technical Access Coordinator which included implementing new policies and procedures and guiding the Sheriff’s Office through two successful audits.
Sheriff Salisbury also presented a Meritorious Service Medal to Deputy Matt Gray for the performance of his assignment as Canine Handler. Deputy Gray’s citation stated that he and his K9 partner Rohn completed countless tracks and searches resulting in many captures and that Deputy Gray helped set a firm foundation of community partnership for the Canine Unit since 2009.
K9 Rohn was presented a Purple Heart for injuries sustained in the line of duty on February 14, 2015 when he sustained a deep cut to his leg while engaging a suspect. Rohn’s actions, despite sustaining a serious injury, helped subdue the suspect and reduced the risk of injury to responding officers.
Four volunteers were also recognized as Volunteer Group of the Year for their service on the Cold Case Squad for the Mason County Sheriff’s Office including Preston Probst, Bob Shepherd, Remi Hanson, and Nick Patterson. They were commended for dedicating countless hours of expert service to bringing light to several cold cases at the Mason County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff Salisbury also recognized Kyle Skarra, General Manager of Pro Build in Shelton and Hoodsport, for his commitment of services and supplies to provide an ADA accessible ramp and ADA accessible doorways and restroom facilities to the building across the street from the Sheriff’s Office which serves as the new home of the veterans mentoring program. Sheriff Salisbury ended the breakfast by inviting all active members of the military and veterans to visit the facility. At the facility, Tom Davis, Veteran Mentor Coordinator for Mason County, said a few words:
The monthly Law Enforcement Breakfast draws together first responders from multiple agencies in the region including fire, medical, legal, and law enforcement personnel as well as retirees and public-minded citizens. Keynote speakers are invited to address topics affecting communities, public service, and current trends.
Source: MasonWebTV