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Cumberland County Planning Department employees receive Patriot Awards

  • Published
  • By Jon Sole
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. --  Three Cumberland County Planning and Inspections Department employees recently received Patriot Awards from the Secretary of Defense for their support of an Air Force reservist who works as a code enforcement officer with the department.

Planning Director Tom Lloyd, Deputy Director Cecil Combs and Code Enforcement Manager Ken Sykes were recognized for their support of Christopher Fulton, an Air Force Reserve staff sergeant who has been employed by Cumberland County Government for three years and has been a Planning and Inspections code enforcement officer for a year. Fulton is assigned to the 440th Airlift Wing at Pope Army Airfield and has served in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Darrell Johnson of the North Carolina Employer Support of Guard and Reserve Committee presented the awards March 4. Reserve and National Guard members can nominate employers for the Patriot Award through the ESGR. The award acknowledges employers' efforts to support "Citizen Warriors" through such measures as flexible schedules, time off prior to and after deployment, care for families and leaves of absence if needed.

Col. Don Wren, 440th Airlift Wing mission support group commander, and Lt. Col. Jimmy Wood, the support group deputy commander, attended the award presentation.

"We support Christopher in his Air Force Reserve service," Combs said. "Being from a military community, we understand his commitment and we embrace it."