Sergeant 1st Class Jermaine Malone admits he was star-struck when he received an award last week.
"It was a little overwhelming," Malone, a tenor saxophone player with the U.S. Military Academy Band's Jazz Knights, said. "I received quite a few phone calls from protocol ... about how to address him. I was stumbling a little, but after the initial, 'Hello, Mr. President,' I was OK."
Malone received the President's Volunteer Service Award from President Bush Dec. 9 at Stewart Airfield.
The award is bestowed upon people with a special volunteer spirit.
More than 1.3 million people have received the award since it was established in 2002, according to the Web site of the President's Council on Service and Civil Participation, which oversees the awards program.
But Bush has pinned fewer than 700 recipients, Rebecca Neale, a council spokeswoman, said.
"When the president lands in a city, the first thing he likes to do is thank a volunteer for making a contribution to their community and thank them for serving," Neale said.
Malone greeted Bush as he stepped off Air Force One after landing at Stewart. Bush was in the area to address the Corps of Cadets.
The presentation ceremony took place under the presidential seal painted on the side of the airplane. Bush presented Malone with a pin and spoke with him for about five minutes.
"He congratulated me on my volunteer service and thanked me that I was wearing the uniform and setting a great example for my Family," Malone said.
Malone was nominated for the award by Sheryle Miller, advisor of Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers, of which Malone is the president.
Malone learned he was selected to receive the award a few days before the presentation. He was excited but had no idea who would present the award.
"I thought it would be a representative from the White House," he said. "Then the White House protocol started calling and started informing me of what to say, what not to say, the time and where I needed to be and what uniform to bring."
Malone was nominated for the award for donating his time to BOSS, the Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation and the West Point Wives' Club, among other organizations.
He estimates he volunteers about 100 hours a year.
Some of his volunteer activities include visiting a veterans' hospital on a regular basis, coordinating a toy drive for less-fortunate children and serving on the BOSS council for three years, according to his award nomination packet.
"I think ... Malone's great leadership qualities are displayed in his unswerving dedication to BOSS and the volunteer efforts that are (a) vital part of that program," Miller wrote for the award nomination. "He is extremely selfless, giving and consistently steps up to the plate to ensure the BOSS program is one that impacts lives, both on and off West Point, on a daily basis."
Malone said he was honored to receive the award.
"It's something I can always look back on," he said. "I definitely couldn't have been awarded something like that without the help of the Soldiers of the BOSS program at West Point."
Those who know Malone were not surprised he was selected to receive the award.
"I would have been surprised if he wasn't selected," Command Sgt. Maj. Cal Christensen, the band's senior noncommissioned officer, said. "He's a huge supporter of Soldiers. That's one thing that makes him really special. He's very active with BOSS because he understands the need to help single Soldiers out and give them guidance ... He's a quiet, competent leader. We're very lucky to have him in the band, frankly."
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