On Tuesday, November 17, 2009 Sergeant Richard Carroll of the Rhode Island Army National Guard and a Senior Analyst in Customer Accounts-Adjustments presented Patriot Awards to members of the Customer Accounts Department at Covidien.  Rich has been an active member of the Guard for 19 years and a Covidien employee for 10 years.

The honor of receiving a Patriot Award is truly a special occasion.  David St. Germain, State Vice Chair of the Massachusetts Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, was present at the awards ceremony.  He explained that members of the Guard and Reserve nominate their employers throughout the year for their outstanding support when duty calls.  Patriot Award recipients are also considered for higher recognition, such as the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, which is only awarded to 15 employers each year.

Rich presented the Patriot Award to Diane DesRosiers, Adjustments Supervisor, Jennifer Grady, Manager of Customer Accounts and Michelle Champoux, Director of Adjustments & Cash Application.  “I feel they deserve the award because of their actions when it is time for me to deploy, actions during my deployment, and when I come home,” says Rich.

In December of 1999, Rich began his career with Tyco Healthcare, and has been deployed three times since then.  Immediately after 9/11, Rich was sent to Crete, Greece in support of a NATO mission, providing anti-terrorist patrols and missions, while protecting American and NATO shipping and war vessels.  In 2004, Rich was sent to Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, to again provide anti-terrorist protection for US and Allies shipping and war vessels and materials.  His third deployment was from 2007-2008, where he was sent to Baghdad, Iraq to serve in combat operations and enemy prisoner of war handling.  “While I am deployed they organize care packages and card giving, not only for me, but my troops as well. I am always reminded how much people care for me back home,” says Rich.

Rich brings a sense of humor to the department and both Jennifer and Diane agree, “It’s just not the same when Rich isn’t around.”  But when Rich is around, he shares his enthusiasm for cars, tells stories about his dogs Mavis and Nathan, and is also quite the jokester.  Jennifer and Diane can’t think of a person in the department who doesn’t get along with him or enjoy working with him.

Jennifer concludes, “our entire department, as well as many employees from other departments that we interact with, have always been eager to send over care packages, cards, pictures - anything that we can think of to make the experience better for him and his fellow soldiers, even if only a little, and to let him know that we’re thinking of him while he’s gone.  It’s the least we can do considering what he’s done for our country.”