Photo By Kelly Morris | The Directorate of Public Safety honors Sgt. 1st Class Jessica D. Sears, DPS NCOIC;...... read more read more
FORT RUCKER, Ala.--Three Fort Rucker noncommissioned officers received the coveted Order of the Marechaussee award for going above and beyond while serving as military police in a ceremony at Fort Rucker, Ala., Sept. 29.
Sgt. 1st Class Jessica D. Sears, Directorate of Public Safety NCOIC; Sgt. 1st Class Brandon C. Carpenter, provost sergeant; and Sgt. 1st Class Richard D. Goodwin, DPS training NCO, received the Military Police Regimental Association’s Order of the Marechaussee, presented by Lt. Col. Tom Burch, director of Public Safety.
The award, established in 2000 and first presented at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., recognizes exceptional dedication, competence, and contribution to the Military Police Corps Regiment over an extended period of time.
Burch explained the Order originated from the French military police system, and was established in 1778 by Gen. George Washington to police the Army and secure fugitives. The corps was responsible for maintaining order and discipline in the Army. The name of the Order derives from the French word for marshalcy, and was used to identify military police in France and in the American colonies.
It “continues to be a symbol of the enduring values and traditions of the Military Police Corps Regiment, reflecting the commitment to professionalism, integrity and the high standards of conduct expected by military police officers,” Burch said.
Among her accomplishments across 18 years of service, Sears worked with Afghan police while she was deployed with the 92nd Military Police Company, highlighting her cultural awareness. With the 204th MP Company, she revamped the law enforcement certification program bringing credibility and structure to the unit. While serving in Korea as an NCO, she cleared a backlog of 125 cases, providing closure for family members and Soldiers.
“She has been a person of reason and has a lot of great talent, but more important than anything else, she has a deep care for Soldiers and that’s one of the things I admire and recommended her for. Regardless if it’s a military police soldier, a civilian, a family member, she will go out of her way to make sure she takes care of those people,” Burch said.
He lauded Carpenter, who has also served for 18 years, for his teamwork, dependability, leadership skills and physical endurance that have been a constant thread throughout his service. During a deployment, when a fellow Soldier was killed in action, Carpenter stepped up to provide resiliency, calm and reassurance after the loss of a fellow Soldier. While in Korea, every Soldier in his squad won Soldier of the Month for a year, and he also volunteered 100 service hours to the USO. Burch lauded his competence and technical ability while serving at Fort Rucker.
“When I needed something done, all you had to do was give him your left and right limits and he would execute,” Burch said. “Thank you for what you did.”
Burch praised Goodwin, whose 23 years of service began in the Alabama National Guard. While deployed during Hurricane Katrina response, he supported local authorities in law enforcement operations, positively impacting that community. His actions while deployed to Iraq directly led to the capture of 12 high value individuals, and he conducted more than 200 combat related missions.
Burch said he worked with Goodwin in the 6th Military Police Detachment.
“He was always one of those people you can count on, even if there was something going wrong, he would come up on the net and say ‘I have a solution,’ and more importantly, he always cared about the Soldiers and the family members of the 6th MP,” Burch said. “I’m very humbled just to be in your presence.”
All of the NCOs in their remarks first gave thanks to God, as well as family, past and present leaders and Soldiers and coworkers for their support.
Sears especially thanked her husband.
“Without his support, I wouldn’t have made it. I guess the benefit I had is he’s prior service, so he knows about the late nights, the coming back in to work, the Soldier needs you so you go, so I definitely had that going for me,” Sears said.
She also thanked Soldiers for keeping her motivated.
Carpenter said at this point in his career he reflects more on his experiences throughout his time in service.
“Having that great battle buddy system, and that great organization really means a lot to a Soldier and makes them excel, work hard, push harder and try to make the organization better for not just themselves but soldiers that follow in their footsteps,” Carpenter said.
“I’ve always wanted to do my best to serve my nation and do right by my family…and hopefully I can continue to do that for the remainder. I’m grateful to be part of the MP corps, and grateful for you, LTC Burch, for presenting this award to us, especially on the regimental anniversary,” Carpenter said.
Goodwin said he was thankful for the positions he has held and the leaders and Soldiers he has worked for and with.
“I learned a long time ago, that when you would get stripes, it’s no longer you, it’s all about them and their abilities,” Goodwin said. “I thank them for every time they’ve helped me out and everything they’ve done.”
| Date Taken: | 09.30.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.30.2025 11:39 |
| Story ID: | 549673 |
| Location: | FORT RUCKER, ALABAMA, US |
| Web Views: | 31 |
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