Maj. Gen. Roger Cloutier recognized Fort Jackson volunteers April 19 at the 2nd Quarter Commanding General's Helping Hand award ceremony at the Joe E. Mann Center on post.
The Helping Hand awards were created to show the post's volunteers that their efforts were noticed by the command.
"I want to say thank you for all that you do," Cloutier, Fort Jackson's commander, said to the volunteers. He said the volunteers had given "more than 4,200 hours of volunteer service, not only to Fort Jackson, but the surrounding community.
"You can't measure the intangible impacts our volunteers have had on not only the installation, but the community at large."
"You guys are all representatives; you are the face of Fort Jackson," he said while praising the volunteers' efforts. "You are the face of the United States Army. You are the face of the United States military. Everywhere I go people talk about the great volunteers -- the great people of Fort Jackson -- who are out in the community doing great things."
The awards program occurs quarterly and recognizes how much energy the unpaid volunteers give to the community.
In January, Marilynn Bailey, Fort Jackson's volunteer coordinator, said recognizing volunteers is important because they "don't get paid" and because they just want to give back to the community.
The recognition is well received by the volunteers.
Brandi Wright, a Family member, was recognized for her efforts to help the Fort Jackson Girl Scouts with all their cookies.
"It feels pretty good to be acknowledged because it shows people actually see the effort that you put into doing things," she said.
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