Email   Print   Share By Erin Rogers, Sentinel Staff

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Guests and awardees enjoy lunch and conversation before the volunteers are presented with their awards and recognized for their selfless service at the Hood Hero Award Ceremony and Luncheon Aug. 16 at Club Hood. Erin Rogers, Sentinel Staff

Matthew Fisher receives his Hood Hero award, presented by Maj. Gen. Perry Wiggins (right), Division West commanding general, and Command Sgt. Maj. Ronald Orosz, Division West command seargeant major, Aug. 16 at the Hood Hero Award Ceremony and Luncheon. Fisher was recognized as volunteer of the quarter for selfless service to many chapels and chapel programs around the installation. Erin Rogers, Sentinel Staff

The third quarter Hood Hero Award Ceremony and Luncheon recognized more than 90 Hood Heroes for their volunteer efforts and selfless acts around Fort Hood and the surrounding communities Aug. 16 at Club Hood.

“Those who can, do. And those who can do more, volunteer,” Andy Bird, Fort Hood deputy garrison commander, said, opening the ceremony with a popular line heard by many volunteers. Bird said he was happy to be at the ceremony, where everyone can admire the heroes in the room.

After Bird opened the ceremony, Chap. (Capt.) Patrick Van Durme said the invocation, and the national anthem was played, Club Hood’s lunch began and the door prizes were distributed, identified by the varying symbols on the back of each program. The door prizes ranged in everything from gift cards and gym bags, to Mayborn Planetarium and Space Theater tickets.

Maj. Gen. Perry Wiggins, First Army Division West commanding general, took the podium and presented the awards.

“Your loyalty helps keep our title as the greatest installation in the United States Army,” Wiggins said to the Hood Hero awardees. “You embody the loyalty, courage, motivation and ethics it takes to be a hero.”

The Hood Hero awards were presented to more than just individuals; teams – both military and civilian from all organizations across the installation – were also recognized.

The Hood Hero individuals and teams were people who do anything to make an overall impact in helping Fort Hood excel. They show an extraordinary amount of innovation to make the installation a better, faster and more efficient place.

They also significantly contribute to improving safety and serve as excellent role models while going above and beyond job expectations, whether in customer service or unit improvement.

One civilian, Ashley Mitscherling, said she was very surprised to be given a Hood Hero award because she never does any of the things she does for recognition. Rather, she said she does them because she wants to help.

Mitscherling received a Hood Hero award for being Volunteer of the Quarter for her contributions to the 504th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade. Her award read that she made “exceptional accomplishments and outstanding performance” as a family readiness group leader for C Troop, 2nd Squadron, 38th Cavalry Regiment.

“I’m honored and very humbled to have been given this award, and to be recognized for it,” Mitscherling said. “I’ve been an FRG leader since January, and we all worked so hard, together, to support our deployed spouses. We kept each other together while they were away. Supporting each other and doing things to keep Families busy is something that I would have done no matter what, so being awarded for it is a surprise.”

While Mitscherling and other individuals made helpful and significant contributions to their spouses’ units, there were also Soldiers who made significant differences in the entire Fort Hood community, with everything from food pantry contributions to volunteerism in the greater Fort Hood area.

“Recognizing heroes is one of the greatest things we can do in our Army,” Wiggins said. “These people help make the Great Place great for the Families, Soldiers and the surrounding communities. They know what it takes.”

In a world full of takers, it is refreshing to know we’re in the ranks of people who give back to the Families, Soldiers and Fort Hood communities selflessly,” he added. “Your service is nothing short of phenomenal, and you are what makes Fort Hood the station of choice.”

At the conclusion of the ceremony, Bird decided to recognize some of Fort Hood’s “unsung heroes,” Soldiers who made the Facebook and TV Town Hall Aug. 14 go smoothly, behind the scenes. Bird said that these Soldiers deserved recognition because without them, the more than 200 questions asked throughout Fort Hood would never have gotten through. He presented each Soldier with a coveted Garrison coin and told the luncheon audience that the unsung heroes are true heroes.