PO1 Gish Awarded Texas Medal of Merit and Junior Enlisted of the Year for 2009
MAJ Michael Spraggins, TXSG PAO
2009/12/21

During the 2009 TXSG Holiday Dinner, Petty Officer First Class Michelle Gish had the unique distinction of being awarded the 2009 Junior Enlisted Member of the Year Award, as well as the Texas Medal of Merit for lifesaving actions during Hurricane Ike in 2008.

PO1 Michelle Gish began proudly serving the citizens of Texas as a member of the Texas State Guard Maritime Regiment, (TMAR) 2nd Battalion-Delta Company in 2006. Currently she is tasked as an Intelligence Specialist, Delta Co. training instructor and recruiting assistant. PO1 Gish began her career with TMAR as a squad leader in Initial Entry Training and graduating Honor Cadet in 2007. Ms. Gish is a member of SGAUS member and has earned her Basic MEMS badge. She graduated Basic Non-Commissioned Officer Training, awarded the Texas Medal of Merit, and Junior Enlisted of the Year in 2009. Her deployments include Hurricane Gustav and Ike in the summer of 2008.

A proud native Texas, she was born in Victoria, Texas and graduated from Gladewater High School in 1982. Ms. Gish’s chosen profession of service to the citizens of Texas began in 1983 as a Police Telecommunications Operator and awarded the State of Texas 911 Commission’s Public Safety Telecommunications Operator of the year on Sept. 11, 1989 and Austin ISD Police Chief’s Award of Excellence in 2004. Obtaining her Peace Officer Commission in 1990, her assignments have included a School Resource Officer for 10 years where she taught the Junior Police Academy curriculum and served as cheerleading coach for two National Qualifier teams. In 1994 and 1995, Ms. Gish also served honorably as an Associate Municipal Court Judge for the City of Sunset Valley before returning to law enforcement as a Travis County Deputy Constable. She is presently with the Austin Police Department’s Special Operations-Airport Division. Ms. Gish is actively pursuing her Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice with minor emphasis in Psychology at Texas State University, maintaining a GPA of 3.67 and membership in Phi Theta Kappa. Ms. Gish has a total of 26 years as a field training officer in her various professional capacities and currently holds a Master Peace Officer Certification, an Instructor Certification, Special Investigator for Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Certification and a Mental Health Officer Certification through TCLEOSE. Ms. Gish is the wife of APD Sergeant Terry Gish, proud mother of TMAR’s SN Samantha Gish and daughter of Mike and CAPT Deana Lynne Abernathey, USNR.

Texas State Guard delivers to Santa Cop
Editor, Grand Prairie Reporter
2009/12/17

Members of the Guard donated 300 toys to Santa Cop.Members of the Texas State Guard helped the Grand Prairie Police Department’s Santa Cop make sure underprivileged families in Grand Prairie have a merry Christmas. The Guard delivered more than 300 toys Wednesday at the Grand Prairie Police Headquarters.

After hearing last week’s plea from Santa Cop for donations to fill this year’s request for assistance, talk radio station KLIF Program Director Steve Nicholl contacted the Texas State Guard to see if there were extra toys to share from its Christmas toy program, Young Heroes of the Guard.

Lieutenant Robert Davis, spokesman for the Texas State Guard, said members worked hard and collected more than 2,200 toys for the Scottish Rite Hospital, Our Children’s House and Cook’s Children Hospital.

“We were blessed enough to have more to give, more than those hospitals could really take and keep” Lt. Davis said. “So, we are here in Grand Prairie to help in their time of need.”

While loading the Guard’s donations, Bob Allen of Grand Prairie arrived with a SUV load of toys and a $500 check from the West End Charities of Dallas. He said the charity heard of Santa Cop’s problem and the West End had some extra it could donate.

Officer Mark Calvert said with the donations from the Texas State Guard and the West End Charities, “It’s going to put us over the top.”

He added that toys not distributed this year will be stored to “give us a start for next year” or could be used to help families should a disaster occur during the next year.

Debra Willis, Santa Spot coordinator, said thanks to the media getting the word out about the group’s problem, they now have enough hams and turkeys to provide a Christmas meal for each of the families.

This year’s distribution of the toys and food is December 17.

Original article formerly on the Grand Prairie Reporter web site.