JOEL RASSEL is pictured here with his award and his wife, Dawn.

RAPID CITY – The South Dakota Army National Guard selected a Woonsocket man as its Warrant Officer of the Year and recipient of the Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael F. O’Connor Award.

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Joel Rassel, primary training, advising, and counseling officer for 1st Battalion, 196th Regional Training Institute, received the award as the most exceptional warrant officer after competing against warrant officers from several of the SDARNG’s major commands.

The CW4 Michael F. O’Connor Award was established in 2000 to recognize the most outstanding SDARNG Warrant Officer of the past year. Criterion for the award is based on exceptional qualities of technical knowledge, leadership, dedication and initiative.

“It’s a great honor to receive this award,” said Rassel. “I’ve seen others that I respect win this award and it is really neat to be honored with it.”

“The reputation of Mr. Rassel as a disciplined, articulate, capable soldier – willing and able to help his unit, its candidates, and fellow cadre – supported our goal of leaving the organization better than we found it,” said Lt. Col. Troy Ness, 1-196th RTI commander. “Respectful to subordinates, peers and commanders at all levels, he mirrors the reputation of the man in which the Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael F. O’Connor Warrant Officer of the year award is named.”

…Read on in this week’s issue of the Sanborn Weekly Journal!