Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Faulkner unsure where he'll spend Christmas

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 14:41:41 -0500

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Published: Dec 09, 2002 - 06:57:21 PM EDT

Faulkner unsure where he'll spend Christmas

Courtesy photo

Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office deputy Marty Faulkner recently returned from Fort Stewart, Ga., where he was stationed as a military police investigator and received three medals. Sergeant Major Guertin, of the provost marshal's office, rated Faulkner one of the top five investigators he has worked with in his 25-year military career.

By Maria Chandler, Okeechobee News

This holiday season, the thought of war is on the minds of many Americans.

For Marty Faulkner and his family, it could mean his being sent to the Middle East.

Faulkner, 42, is a deputy at the Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office. He has held several different positions during his 11 years with the sheriff's office.

He joined the department in 1991 as a member of the department's auxiliary. In 1995, he became a full-time deputy.

Faulkner has also been one of the first school resource officers, a narcotics investigator and a general crimes detective.

Faulkner is a U.S. Army reservist stationed with the 3220th United States Army Reserve Garrison Support Unit out of Palm Beach.

Faulkner first went into the U.S. Army in 1977, at the age of 17. He served as a combat engineer, dealing with mines and booby traps, until he was honorably discharged in 1980.

For 20 years, Faulkner stayed out of the Army. But in June of 2000, his love of the military led to his joining up again. This time, he joined the reserves. But, little did he know that he would be mobilized a year later.

Faulkner was then called up on Sept. 27, 2001, under the order of Enduring Freedom/Operation Noble Eagle for a minimum of one year to a maximum of two years. When his reserve unit was mobilized, Faulkner worked as a military investigator at Fort Stewart, Ga.

While with the unit, Faulkner was member of a military law enforcement operation in Portland, Oregon.

But for now, Faulkner continues to patrol Okeechobee County while the possibility of being called up again weighs heavily on his mind.

Everyone in the military is now on standby because of what is happening in the Middle East, he said.

"I constantly worry about being deployed," said Faulkner. "I mainly worry for my family's sake."

Faulkner and his wife have four children, the oldest will turn 18 on Dec. 14. Their youngest is 2.

When Faulkner was deployed on Sept. 27, 2001, his youngest child was only 18 months old.

Faulkner recalled coming home to visit, then having to leave again. He said his youngest son could not understand why his father had to leave, and for such long periods of time.

Letters from his church, the community and sheriff's office helped Faulkner cope with being away from home. Also, being able to talk to his wife on the Nextel helped. Faulkner said he spoke to his wife for a total of 17,000 minutes while away.

While in the military, Faulkner serves as a military police investigator where he encounters similar crimes - such as gang problems, domestics, child abuse and even murder - as he does working as a deputy for the local sheriff's office. But when serving in a hostile area, another function of a military police investigator is force protection.

The provost marshal's office is a branch of the military that conducts law enforcement within the military, said Faulkner.

Faulkner has received many honors during his assignment.

Sergeant Major Guertin, of the provost marshal's office, rated Faulkner as one of the top five investigators he has worked with in his 25-year military career.

He was presented with three medals that year - the Army Achievement Medal for exceptional performance while assigned as a military police investigator, Army Commendation Medal for professionalism and dedication to the provost marshal's office and the National Defense Medal for being deployed.

Since his return to the Army, Faulkner has undergone training that includes military police training, basic non-commissioned officer's training course and military operations and urban terrain training.

But for now, he and his family wait - and hope they have the chance to celebrate Christmas together.

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