From left, Tony Nicely, GEICO CEO; Brig. Gen. Kevin Wulfhorst, assistant deputy chief of staff, Intelligence (IMA) Office, deputy chief of staff, Headquarters, Department of the Army; Spc. Kody L. Kill, 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airbor...
ARLINGTON, Va. (May 8, 2018) - Army Spc. Kody L. Kill, 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, was the recipient of the 2017 GEICO Military Service Award at a ceremony in Rosslyn, Virginia, Apr. 30.
Kill was one of five U.S. military service members the insurance company recognized for their community service. He serves as a volunteer firefighter and first responder in the North Okaloosa Fire District outside Crestview, Florida.
Every year since 1988, GEICO selects an enlisted service member from each branch of the military services, including Reserve and National Guard, for achievements in any one of three areas: fire safety and fire prevention, drug and alcohol abuse prevention, and traffic safety and accident prevention.
Brig. Gen. Kevin Wulfhorst, assistant deputy chief of staff, Intelligence (IMA) Office, deputy chief of staff, Headquarters, Department of the Army, and Command Sgt. Maj. Marc Eckard, command sergeant major of U.S. Army Special Operations Command, presented Kill his award in the category of fire safety and fire prevention.
"On behalf of the Army secretary and chief of staff, I'm honored to be here tonight with CSM Eckard, as GEICO recognizes a great American Soldier," Wulfhorst said. I would like to thank Mr. Tony Nicely, GEICO's chairman and CEO, and his entire team for continuing to honor our nation's greatest resource, our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen at this annual event."
Kill, an Oklahoma native, joined the Army in 2015. Since assigned to Eglin Air Force Base, he has volunteered thousands of hours as a firefighter and first responder. Kill has battled wildfires and structure fires, treated vehicle accident victims, assisted the elderly in their homes, and assisted in delivering two babies.
"Spc. Kill is usually one of the first on the scene and provides immediate lifesaving treatment until assistance arrives," Eckard said. "Spc. Kill, thank you for what you have done in and out of uniform these past few years. Thanks for what you will continue to do for our Army and for any community fortunate enough to reside outside your gates. You are the epitome of a Soldier-servant."
Kill competed with 16 other active and reserve component Soldiers Army wide.
"I volunteer with my fire department on the weekends and whenever I can during the work week if I'm available," Kill said. "I think if someone is just counting the hours while doing volunteer work, then they are doing it wrong Volunteering is about freely offering one's time to take part in an enterprise or undertake a task. No one should ask for or expect anything in return because it's about giving one's time out respect, kindness or because it's something someone loves to do."
In addition to receiving a $2,500 honorarium from the GEICO Philanthropic Foundation, the ceremony capped a week's worth of events in the Washington, D.C., area for Kill and the other five service members from the Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and National Guard. The recipients visited the Pentagon, Arlington National Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and the United States Marine Corps War Memorial.
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