05/31/2026
Four supervisors from the 88th Readiness Division, Fort McCoy were honored by the Department of Defense for their Patriotic Support at an awards ceremony on May 20. The Wisconsin Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense (DoD) office, announced that Kelly McNeese, Rochelle Vanier, Kevin Zavala and Shalanda Harlan, were honored with Patriot Awards in recognition of their extraordinary support of their employee, Sergeant Jennifer Coley serving in the U.S. Army Reserves.
The 88th Readiness Division serves primarily as a military unit staffed with soldiers and civilian staff. Some of these civilian staff also serve as drilling reservists, known as “twice the citizen.” Each time one of these soldiers is deployed it creates a vacancy in civilian positions in which duties must be covered during that period. In this role, they serve as an employer.
Sergeant Coley serves in the 467th Combat and Operational Stress Control (COSC) unit based in Madison. Specialized units such as these, assist soldiers by preventing, identifying, and managing the effects of combat and operational stress reactions in order to minimize adverse effects of combat stress on service members.
Sergeant Coley nominated her supervisors, “to show my appreciation for all the support the 88th has given me throughout the years of my career, my professional life as a soldier, and personal life as a military spouse. They have mentored me in many ways in keeping me motivated and contributing their expertise and wisdom to my professional and personal growth. For this, I am forever grateful.”
One of the awardees, Rochelle Vanier said of Jennifer, “she performs a critical service to the 88th Division soldiers by providing expertise as an incapacitation pay specialist. Her work ensures that claims of soldiers who are injured while on military duty status and unable to work are processed expeditiously. Her dedication and attention to detail have resulted in a higher accuracy of claims and a reduced processing time.”
The awards were presented at the 88th Readiness Division Town Hall meeting hosted by MG Joseph Ricciardi in front of 150 soldiers and civilian employees plus approximately 100 watching online.
Major General Joseph Ricciardi, Kelly McNeese, Kevin Zavala, Rochelle Vanier, SGT Jennifer Coley and ESGR representative John Gessner (L to R). Shalanda Harlan, not pictured, will be presented to her award at a later date.
