“The Sheriff has given us a letter of commendation sometimes but everybody has just sort of accepted that we’re going to do the job,” said Brown a veteran of 41 years in the Reserve. “We don’t do a lot of advertising.”
Their fellow officers also managed to keep the secret until meeting time.
“I was just told to wear my dress uniform,” said Brown. “I worked today so I was already in uniform.”
“I was told there was going to be a reporter here,” said Miller. “I had no idea why.”
Established in 2003, the Award is available on an annual basis to individuals, groups and families who have met or exceeded requirements for volunteer service and have demonstrated exemplary citizenship through volunteering.
The Marshall County Sheriff’s Reserve has a long history of service. About 20 officers perform community service each year on behalf of the organization. It was originally established as the Sheriff’s Posse in 1954, and its volunteers have been serving the citizens of Marshall County ever since. They are trained, commissioned, volunteer law enforcement officers who work under the direction of the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office. They augment the full time deputies, and can be called into service day or night. Regular duties include routine road patrols, court ordered transports, residential security checks, and much more.
“Originally you couldn’t belong to the Posse unless you had horses and belonged to the horse association,” said Brown. “Now it’s just a few of us who even have horses.”
Brown has volunteered well over 8,000 hours of service. Miller has logged more than 6,200 hours.
“I was always told if you don’t like the way things work, get involved and fix ‘em,” said Brown of his life of volunteer work. “It’s like voting. If you don’t vote don’t complain about it.”
“Things have changed so much since I first came in,” said Miller. “When I first came in you didn’t have the (Police) Academy you just rode around with a deputy and that’s how you learned.”
The Award is issued by the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation, a group created by President Bush to recognize the valuable contributions volunteers are making to our Nation.  Chaired by two-time Super Bowl Champion Darrell Green, with former U.S. Senators Bob Dole and John Glenn as honorary co-chairs, the Council comprises leaders in government, media, entertainment, business, education, non-profits and volunteer service organizations, and community volunteering.