Sheriff Coppinger honored with Patriot Award from U.S. Defense Department program

MIDDLETON, Mass. — Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger recently received the esteemed Patriot Award from the U.S. Department of Defense program called the Employer Support of The Guard and Reserve. He was nominated by Essex County Sheriff’s Department Correctional Officer Gary Roy, who also serves as a Technical Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force Reserves.

The Patriot Award reflects the efforts made to support citizen warriors through a wide range of measures including flexible schedules, time-off prior to and after deployment, caring for families, and granting leaves of absence if needed. The Essex County Sheriff’s Department has 29 guardsmen and reservists currently serving among its ranks. 

“It truly is an honor for me to serve Essex County alongside these brave men and women who have volunteered to serve our country in the National Guard and military reserves. They are called upon to serve in every sort of emergency, including weather events, pandemics, as well as military missions, and then they come back to work at the Sheriff’s Department and serve our communities,” Sheriff Coppinger said. “Those who serve are true patriots, and I will support and honor their service in every way I can.”

The award was presented by Robert Pomeroy, vice-chair of the Massachusetts Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (EGSR). ESGR is a Department of Defense program, which seeks to foster a culture in which all employers support and value the employment and military service of members of the National Guard and Reserve in the United States. 

Correctional Officers attending the ceremony included Roy, along with Evan Perriere, who serves in the U.S. Army Reserves, and Jerome Jellison and Michael Cotton, who both serve in the Army National Guard.