HURON — Eight South Dakotans were in Washington, D.C., last week to accept the 2017 Reserve Family Readiness Award on behalf of the Army National Guard’s 153rd Engineer Battalion based in Huron.
The 153rd was honored as the top unit family readiness program in the nation for the National Guard. Awards were presented to the top unit in each reserve component in the country.
The U.S. Department of Defense established the award to recognize the efforts of family readiness groups, which prepare the loved ones of Guard members to serve their soldiers as they serve the country.

Volunteer team leaders from the Huron and Parkston family readiness programs joined state and national military representatives for the awards program at the Pentagon on Wednesday.
Attending the award ceremony were Parkston family readiness leader Bill Hoffman and his wife, Elizabeth; Huron family readiness leaders Freddy Coil and his wife, Marsha, and Liz Zavesky and her husband, Don; Lt. Col. Dennis Bickett of Vermillion, commander of the 153rd Engineer Battalion; and Maj. Gen. Tim Reisch, South Dakota adjutant general of the National Guard.

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

South Dakotans attending last week’s presentation of the 2017 Reserve Family Readiness Award to the 153rd Engineer Battalion were, starting fourth from left, Bill and Elizabeth Hoffman of Parkston, Don and Liz Zavesky of Huron, Lt. Col. Dennis Bickett of Vermillion, Marsha and Freddy Coil of Huron and Maj. Gen. Tim Reisch.