Fort Leonard Wood volunteers give back more than $2 mil in service

By Derek Gean, Leonard WoodJune 18, 2015

Fort Leonard Wood volunteers give back more than $2 mil in service
From left, Col. Andy Herbst, U.S. Army Garrison Fort Leonard Wood commander, and Command Sgt. Maj. Tyson Goolsby, USAG Fort Leonard command sergeant major, display a ceremonial check for $2,251,055, representing the dollar amount of volunteer hours d... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (June 18, 2015) -- The U.S. Army Volunteer Corps presented a ceremonial check for $2,251,055 to Col. Andy Herbst, U.S. Army Garrison Fort Leonard Wood commander and Command Sgt. Maj. Tyson Goolsby, USAG Fort Leonard Wood command sergeant major. The check, presented at the annual Installation Volunteers Corps Recognition Awards Ceremony June 11 at Pershing Community Center, represented the monetary value of services volunteers provide to the installation.

Volunteers invested 97,575 recorded hours into Fort Leonard Wood and surrounding communities throughout 2014.

Herbst, who served as keynote speaker at the event, said the theme for the ceremony, "Volunteers, Hands that Serve, Hearts that Care," was very appropriate for Fort Leonard Wood volunteers.

"Volunteers ask for little, yet they inspire so much," Herbst said. "The annual installation volunteer corps recognition awards reception is a great way to honor those, who by their demonstrated commitment to excellence, inspire others to engage in volunteer service."

Herbst said students, Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines on the installation, carried out 20,000 of the volunteer hours.

Fort Leonard Wood volunteers provide services on the installation through programs such as Army Community Service, Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation, the General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital, the Installation Chaplains Office and through many other programs and community organizations.

?"Please know we genuinely appreciate the value of your commitment … for this we thank you," he said to the volunteers present.

Rhonda Hutsell, Army Volunteer Corps coordinator, said she was humbled by the generosity and spirit Fort Leonard Wood volunteers have for the community.

"You have many different life experiences, and yet you all have at least one thing in common -- your willingness to give your time to help others. It is, all of you, who so generously give your time, your warmth, your humor, your talent and your caring. That's what makes the Fort Leonard Wood volunteers, special," Hutsell said.

The following volunteers were honored at the ceremony:

Angel Award recipients

Susan Aspeotes, Sarah Custer, Heather Dellerman, Barbara Evanson, LaDawnya Faulkner, Monica Flom, Renee Geiger, Katrinka Good, Cyndi Grothe, Tracy Hathaway, Damon Harris, Alyssa Hogerty, Molly Houser, Brittany Ivie, Chessie Jackson, Janel Jackson, Crisanta Jagger, Dehlia Mason, Kwangjae Park, Christy Preston, Mary Roper, Patricia Shamburger, Theresa Steward, Marguerite Theisen, Ricardo Trevino, Kate Wasson and Shonda Whittaker.

International Student sponsors

Colleen Bell, Travis Dozier, John and Lee Fensterer, Carl and Ann Kirk, Virgie Mahan, Phillip and Corlona Metcalf, Casey and Jocelyn Morris, Cheryl Nygaard, Klara Perry, Don Rolland, Christopher Scott, Ron and Michele Simpson, Beronica Wilson and Darrell and Kay York.

Military Volunteer of the Year

Spc. Richard Judd

Retiree Volunteer of the Year

Ronald Jones

Civilian Volunteer of the Year

Jim Bogle

Family Volunteer of the Year

Scott, Karen, Gabrielle and Nicholas Victor

Youth Volunteer of the Year

Cinnamon Bragg

Related Links:

Fort Leonard Wood FLICKR

Fort Leonard Wood GUIDON newspaper

Fort Leonard Wood website