Firefighter Steven Bernard Is Honored

Because of his membership in the Medical Association of Georgia, Medical Reserve Corps (MAG/MRC), Steven Bernard of Madison was inducted and received orders into the Georgia State Defense Force and received his commission as a Warrant Officer One for the Covid19 Task Force.

Mr. Bernard is a full time firefighter for Jasper County, and also works part time in Morgan County.

His rank was due to his state Emergency Medical Service (EMS) license of Advanced EMT. He helped doing Covid-19 testing in Athens at a mass testing site during the height of the pandemic. His induction/commission date was April 8, 2020. His active duty orders and commission ended on December 31, 2020 with an honorable discharge from the Georgia State Defense Force.

Last Saturday, March 20, he was requested to attend an Awards Ceremony at the Clay National Guard Center in Marietta. There he received the following awards:

•Georgia Pandemic Response Ribbon

•Georgia Humanitarian Service Ribbon

•Georgia Active Duty Ribbon

The final Award was the Georgia Commendation Medal, awarded by Governor Brian Kemp.

All other awards were presented to him by Major General Thomas Carden, GANG, Adjutant General at the awards ceremony.

Mr. Bernard’s citation reads “For commendable service as a member of the joint task force—Georgia during the Covid Pandemic of 2019. Warrant Officer One Bernard distinguished himself through exceptional performance above and beyond the call of duty during a global time of crisis. These accomplishments, in keeping with the finest traditions of military service, reflect great credit upon himself, the Georgia Department of Defense, and the state of Georgia.”