2010 Reserve Family Readiness Awards Presented

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs Dennis M. McCarthy presented the 2010 Department of Defense Reserve Family Readiness Awards winners today at the Pentagon.

The award recognizes the National Guard and Reserve units, one from each of the Reserve components, with the best programs to support their families.  Representatives from each unit received a plaque as well as a cash award from the Military Officers Association of America.  The cash awards will be put toward the further enhancements of family support programs.

This year’s winners are:

• Army National Guard – 1484th Transportation Company, Green, Ohio. Unit Commander:  Capt. Angela L. Bailey
• U.S. Army Reserve – 354th Military Police Company, St Louis, Mo. Unit Commander: 1st Lt. Angela Smith
• U.S. Marine Corps Reserve – 3rd Battalion, 24th Marines, Bridgeton, Mo. Unit Commander:  Lt. Col. Christopher T. Watkins
• U.S. Navy Reserve – Seal Team Eighteen, Virginia Beach, Va. Unit Commander:  Cmdr. Joseph Rehak
• Air National Guard – 157th Air Refueling Wing, Newington, N.H. Unit Commander:  Col. Paul Hutchinson
• U.S. Air Force Reserve – 439th Airlift Wing, Chicopee, Mass. Unit Commander:  Col. Robert R. Swain
• U.S. Coast Guard Reserve – Maritime Safety Security Team, Los Angeles/Long Beach, Calif. Unit Commander:  Lt. Cmdr. Timothy J. Margita

The DoD Reserve Family Readiness Awards Program was established in 2000 to recognize the top unit in each of the Reserve components.  Family readiness programs are particularly important as we rely on significant numbers of reservists to serve in critical locations worldwide.  Family readiness has proven to be a key component of mission readiness.  Robust family readiness programs have enhanced the deployability of our Guard and Reserve units and they represent a vital link in the support networks for our Reserve families.

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