WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Michelle Bledsoe, Fire Captain and Lead Inspector assigned to the Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow Fire & Emergency Services, was recently recognized by GEICO as one of five recipients of their Public Service Award.
Captain Bledsoe was honored during a ceremony on May 2 at the National Geographic Museum in Washington, D.C. The emcee of the ceremony was Dr. Brady Barr, the host of the National Geographic television show, Dangerous Encounters.
Captain Bledsoe was recognized in the category of Fire Prevention and Life Safety for her efforts on ensuring the safety of all Marines, civilians, dependents, and visitors at MCLB Barstow and her contributions toward the department becoming the first in the Marine Corps to become accredited by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International. A video tribute to her was shown during the ceremony, at which time she was praised by the director of a day care center, the director of security and emergency services, and her supervisor.
GEICO hosted Captain Bledsoe and her husband Jeremy at a series of activities and events over a period of six days. They kept the award winners extremely busy with private tours of the U.S. Supreme Court, Washington Monument, downtown D.C. and tours of other National Monuments. All the award winners were treated to dinners at five star restaurants throughout their stay.
Award winners also toured WUSA’s Channel 9 News television station, and met with their staff. A private picnic on the Tidal Basin overlooking the Jefferson Memorial was another special treat for the award winners.
Captain Bledsoe was accompanied at the ceremony by her Fire Chief, Thomas Thompson, and Danny Strand, Director of Security and Emergency Services.
They were joined by Captain Antonio Edmonds, HQMC LF Deputy Director, and Chris Shimer, who represented Tom Ruffini, HQMC-LFF-1, Fire Program Manager.
Captain Bledsoe joins Assistant Chief Terry Jenkins, also of MCLB Barstow F&ES, as the only Marine Corps F&ES recipients of this award. Chief Jenkins received his award in 2008 In the words of Fire Chief Thomas Thompson, “Captain Bledsoe wears many hats for our organization; first and foremost she is a fire inspector, but she also has an extremely important role as my collateral duty safety officer. She also sits on the base’s OSHA Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Committee.
Captain Bledsoe’s award package kept rising to the top of each decision board award committee. Outside experts were utilized by GEICO to determine award winners in each category. Captain Bledsoe was a perfect choice to represent my department; her contributions to our programs are immense, as she is prevention-focused and life-safety minded. I am extremely proud of her being recognized as one of the top performers in all of the world’s federal employees!
Upon receiving this award, Captain Bledsoe said, “I was in awe, it was an extreme honor to be treated with the level of hospitality from GEICO. I want to thank GEICO’s staff for everything they did for us. I appreciate my Fire Chief nominating me for this prestigious award. I work with a fantastic team here at MCLB Barstow. This recognition I have received is a reflection of the teamwork we embrace here within our department; all our members helped me get to this point in my career."