For Sgt. 1st Class Craig Hannum, a Soldier's job extends beyond the duties of the camouflage uniform. As the detachment sergeant for the 18th Military Police Detachment on Fort Huachuca, he strives to take commitment above and beyond, and it is that care and dedication that earned him the Sierra Vista Elks Lodge 2013 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year award.
Hannum was recognized at the Annual Law Enforcement/Firefighter Appreciation Night Dinner, Jan. 4, at the SV Elks Lodge. "I feel very humbled, proud, glad to represent my unit. It is cool to be recognized," he said.
Dan Ortega, director of Fort Huachuca's Emergency Services, who nominated Hannum for the award, described the Soldier as a respected leader who serves with integrity, dedication and commitment. Having been nominated three times prior to this, Hannum's productivity and hard work has been more than verified.
Ortega believes that what set Hannum apart from the other nominees was "his expertise and training that he conducted for Fort Huachuca law enforcement personnel and the community, specifically Active Shooter Response and Mitigatation. This training is extremely critical to ensure the safety and security of the entire community," he explained.
The Active Shooter Training Program is designed to give anybody the tools he or she needs to possibly identify a potential hazard or workplace violence.
"What I do is give them the training and the awareness so that they understand what to look for or pay attention to, certain dialog, indicators, whether subtle or obvious," Hannum explained. "We started the program in 2009 and we have actually stopped 11 potential incidents on Fort Huachuca. Seven [potential perpetrators] were actually armed."
Through December, Hannum has provided active shooter training to 5,345 people, written emergency action plans for 26 facilities, and wrote the Installation Emergency Management Plan for Fort Huachuca's Active Shooter Response Team.
Hannum was up against four other law enforcement officers and, according to Dennis Nitschke, co-chairman of the Elks' Law Enforcement Officer and Firefighter Appreciation Committee, the final selection came down to a difference of only a few points.
"His [nomination] write-up was very good. It captured the asset that he does, and continues to do, more than just his job," Nitschke noted.
Hannum will now go on to compete for the Elks' award at the state level. "I am confident that he will do well based on his experience, knowledge and expertise as a Military Police leader of law enforcement operations on Fort Huachuca and the training that he has provided our community," Ortega said.
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