Carter County honors National Guard members for hurricane rescue work, to request formal awards

The Carter County commission read and moved to adopt a resolution honoring several members of the Tennessee Army National Guard 776 Support Maintenance Company for life‑saving work during hurricane response operations.

The resolution recited events in which Sergeant First Class Norman Mullen and Staff Sergeant Cody Johnson coordinated rescues, Specialist Ethan Ward and Specialist Brandon Moore were separated from their vehicle and later rescued, and the unit assisted with evacuations and coordination of helicopter rescues in flooded areas near Elizabethton. The citation describes blocked interstate conditions, coordination with highway patrol, and the eventual location and rescue of specialists via drone and helicopter.

Commissioners then approved a motion directing staff to transmit the county’s resolution and a letter to the unit’s command and to the state adjutant general, suggesting the military consider formal awards (Army Achievement or Army Commendation medals) that can be career‑enhancing for the service members. One commissioner said the written citation and circumstances "would easily fit accommodation metal" [sic]; another asked staff to identify the correct addressee and send the letter on behalf of the commission.

Next steps: County staff will draft and send a letter and the resolution to the appropriate National Guard command and the adjutant general’s office seeking formal consideration of awards; commissioners also said a plaque or local recognition would be prepared.