Camp Guernsey’s Department of Public Works employees, who worked diligently during the snowstorm in early March, were recognized for their hard work by Maj. Gen. Gregory Porter on Tuesday.
The storm closed Camp Guernsey from March 15 to 17, but DPW employees were called in for snow removal.
“I was called in Sunday, the first day of the storm, to clear a path for the Cowboy Challenge Program from their building up to the dining facility so they could walk down the road,” said Daniel Rodriguez, a DPW trade skill specialist.
“Snow removal is very big around Guernsey,” said Matthew Mindieta, trade specialist manager. “Especially when we get a lot of it.”
Mindieta, who lives in Hartville 5 miles away, said he “dug himself out” before coming in the first day of the storm.
“We have a lot of willing employees that have no problem coming in, like Daniel who lives here in Guernsey, and they are a very big asset to us,” said Mindieta.
DPW’s snow removal fleet is made up of one big snow plow, a Ford F-350 with a plow attachment, two 5-ton trucks, and numerous Kabotas and Tool Cats to plow sidewalks and parking lots.
Camp Guernsey’s Army Airfield was not completely plowed off until later in the week, while DPW prioritized mobilization on the camp’s cantonment roads and sidewalks.
A coining ceremony was held on March 23 in the General Instruction Building’s museum on Camp Guernsey, where Porter presented his coin to the employees who worked diligently to complete snow removal operations.
“It’s just a small token, it doesn’t do enough for what you guys risked, personally, coming out here and moving all of that snow when you had families who probably needed you just as much,” said Porter. “I appreciate you putting service before self.”
Porter presented his coin to the following DPW employees: Daniel Rodriguez, Mike King, Matthew Mindieta, Gary Hatton, Greg Rutar, Greg Collar, Ron Davis, Rob Unverzagt, Sue Fronapfel, and Matthew Martin.
The full ceremony video can be found on Camp Guernsey’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CampGuernseyJTC