AMERICAN HERO AWARD NOMINEE - Steve Clark
Mission First- aside from my mission of supporting my family, I also continue the mission to support ALL OUR TROOPS. After returning from Iraq (OEF/OIF) with a Bronze Star, I have been providing as much assistance as I can to those soldiers around me, Army Reserves and National Guard, who were deploying overseas. I was trained and taught to support and protect those around me, physically and mentally. This applies to my fellow troops, family, friends, and co-workers, at all times. Not only have I carried that philosophy into battle, but I have applied it at work, and more importantly, at home. "Taking care of the Troops" has always been a priority of mine. Most soldiers I know feel we have a need to go back and finish "the mission." We want to see it through. Since I am no longer in the military, I searched for other ways which I can support the "mission" and the Troops.
At first, I began at my civilian job. Approximately each quarter, I would solicit my co-workers for items to ship overseas for the Troops. Razors, books, magazines, DVD's, cookies, note pads, etc. I soon heard that my local hometown National Guard Unit was deploying. I immediately contacted them and offered whatever assistance they could want or need. I co-organized a "Small-Town Send-off" complete with High School Band, Local Politicians, local and state flags and hundreds of local caring citizens in my Town and County. I continued my support through briefings with other deploying units I knew about, and by organizing and providing package mail outs to those deployed overseas. I'm currently getting ready to start the next wave of collecting goods for the Troops.
As for me personally, I am a disabled Veteran with over 14 years of Active and Reserve service in the Army. I work for the Federal Government in Washington, DC and I have just completed my Masters Degree. I live in Virginia with my two lovely daughters and my absolutely gorgeous wife who supports me in all that I do. They give me my drive and purpose. My wife is my true partner in life (as well as my Commander-in-Chief). As with every spouse of a soldier, she deployed just as much as I did by supporting our household here in the States while I was gone. What she doesn’t realize is that she was also my foundation of support during our deployment. I truly believe we need a National Monument for Spouses and Family of deployed service members. Maybe someday soon we, as a country, can salute the spouses and family members of those serving overseas in a similar fashion.
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