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CHRISTIANA, Tenn. - Christiana, Tenn., resident, Staff Sgt. Erik Yatuzis, of the Tennessee National Guard's 117th Regimental Training Institute, received the "Leadership Award" during graduation from the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy Aug. 1.
"I was truly surprised! It means a lot and makes me proud that my peers felt I was deserving of this award," said Yatuzis, who attended the Academy to receive his POST certification, a requirement to be a patrol officer in Tennessee.
At the very beginning of the Academy, Yatuzis was selected to serve as class leader by the Academy's instructors.
"Just before graduation, I was selected by my peers to be class president, and to receive the leadership award," he explained. "It was quite an honor to be selected as class president because there were many others who should have been selected. We had many great leaders in our class!"
"I cannot accept full responsibility for being selected for the leadership award. My platoon and squad leaders truly made it possible. The award is as much theirs as it is mine," he said.
Yatuzis, who currently serves as a military police instructor for the 117th RTI, has been a member of the National Guard for 10 years and has a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice. He is currently a Sheriff's deputy in Rutherford County, Tenn.
Prior to his most recent accomplishment, Yatuzis was selected as Soldier of the Year in 2006 for the 117th Military Police Battalion.
"I recently volunteered for 'Operation Integrity,' a program run by the Rutherford County Sheriff's Officer SRO Division, which gives troubled teens an alternative to juvenile jail," said Yatuzis. "The juvenile justice system program is based around rehabilitation and I am truly excited to assist in this great program that truly seeks that as its mission."
| Date Taken: | 08.01.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 12.15.2014 16:56 |
| Story ID: | 150358 |
| Location: | CHRISTIANA, TN, US |
| Hometown: | CHRISTIANA, TN, US |
| Web Views: | 43 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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