Bower recognized for continuous support of officer’s National Guard duty

Jasper Police Department’s Sgt. Adam Bower received the Patriot Award for his efforts to support a fellow officer and subordinate who is a member of the Indiana National Guard.

The Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve is an organization that supports Army National Guard and Army Reserve service members in their efforts to maintain their jobs at home while they serve on deployments or other service-oriented activities like monthly training.

Bower was nominated by Officer Dakota Foote, who has been a member of the Jasper Police Department since 2013 and an officer in the Indiana National Guard since 2010. In 2016, Foote took part in a year-long deployment to Kosovo, probably the most arduous in his career, not due to the duty but because he had to leave his wife and their newborn daughter, Raleigh, behind while he served overseas.

Fortunately, through support by the late Chief Michael Bennett and Sgt. Bower, he was able to rely on his department to watch over his family and he was secure in knowing he had a job to return to when his service was completed.

That support included more than just covering Foote’s shifts as the department handled being down one officer. “He (Bower) came in and helped my wife through a time when I couldn’t be there,” Foote explained referring to a time when Raleigh was hospitalized while he was in Kosovo. “It was a very trying time.”

Bower and the department’s support helped Foote’s wife, Kristie, through the tough time with the young couple’s newborn daughter.

On a lighter note, they also helped out when Kristie was locked out of the house. Bower and Chief Bennett came to her rescue to break into the home.

That same level of support has continued since that deployment while Foote has had to serve for month-long and weekend duties.

Bower acknowledged Bennett’s efforts to ensure Foote could continue serving in the National Guard while a member of the department has made it easier to ensure the department continues to operate efficiently even while down one officer.

“I personally don’t have military experience but I have family members who have served,” Bower said. “They ensure the freedoms we have our protected and while they are gone, it’s our responsibility to watch things for them at home.”

Foote is the only reserve military member on the department. He acknowledged that when he is deployed, his absence is felt on the small department.

“It can be a safety issue. When an officer leaves the road, it is a huge stress on the department,” Foote said

According to Jackie Ash, a representative of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, National Guard and Army Reserve members are essential for the continued success of our military services. There are more reservists and National Guard members serving now than active duty military, Ash said.

“It’s a tough job and we appreciate our guard and reservists,” he said. “The Army cannot function without them.”

Ash presented the Patriot Award to Bower during the Jasper Board of Public Works and Safety meeting Tuesday morning.