COLUMBIA, Mo. - Missouri National Guard military policemen will join the Missouri Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run, a year-round statewide effort by law enforcement agencies to raise money and awareness for Special Olympics.
"The Missouri National Guard is proud to support Gov. Jay Nixon’s efforts with the Special Olympics Missouri," said Brig. Gen. Stephen L. Danner. "The men and women in the military police units are honored to further support their communities across the state and do their part for the athletes of the Special Olympics."
The Missouri National Guard military police community includes more than 1,000 military police officers, who serve in the units of the 175th Military Police Battalion and the 205th Military Police Battalion in communities across the state, including Columbia, Harrisonville, Fulton, Hannibal, Moberly, Warrenton, Mexico, Poplar Bluff, Kennett, Jackson, Doniphan, West Plains, Springfield, St. Clair and St. Louis.
Gov. Jay Nixon and representatives from the Special Olympics Missouri recently met with Soldiers of the 175th at the Columbia armory and to announce the new partnership and express their gratitude.
"Special Olympics Missouri has always had outstanding support from the law enforcement community through the torch run and the fundraising that takes place year-round," said Nixon. "As a longtime supporter of Special Olympics Missouri, I am delighted that these Missouri National Guard units will now be part of the Law Enforcement Torch Run. The Citizen-soldiers and Airmen in the Guard – 11,500 strong – have always ably answered the call, whether being deployed overseas or quickly responding to help others in natural disasters. They are stepping up to the plate again for their fellow Missourians."
The governor noted that while the Missouri National Guard has provided logistical support to Special Olympics Missouri for its Summer Games for the past seven years and that individual Guardsmen and units have done fundraising, this will be the first opportunity for more than 1,000 law enforcement personnel in the Guard to be a part of the torch run fundraising effort.
"We are thrilled that Gov. Nixon has enlisted the support of the Missouri National Guard statewide," said Mark Musso, president and CEO of Special Olympics Missouri. "Today’s announcement was especially welcome, because the Missouri National Guard had been able to support the State Summer Games on only a limited basis after the Games moved from Fort Leonard Wood in 2002.
"Many Special Olympics programs in the United States who work with their states’ National Guard have seen this to be an outstanding and mutually rewarding partnership."
Nixon and Danner further expressed their appreciation for the Soldiers commitment to their community during state emergencies duties and overseas deployments.
In addition to supporting nearly every state emergency duty, the 1175th Military Police Company in St. Clair and St. Louis returned in February from a year-long deployment to Iraq and the 3175th Military Police Company returned from its deployment to Kosovo in March. Five more military police units are scheduled to mobilize in the next year, including the 1140th Military Police Company in Fulton, which will be departing for training at Camp Shelby, Miss. this weekend.
A ceremonial torch hand-off followed the announcement.
Spc. Nohle Jensen, of the 175th, received the torch from Nixon.
"I look forward to participating in this year’s Law Enforcement Torch Run," said Jenson. "I joined to serve my community and events like this outside our normal training, state emergency duties and deployment are great opportunities for my unit and military police across the state."