PUBLICATION DATE: 02/07/2023

WI NATIONAL GUARD RELEASE: A true civil servant is awarded the 2022 Wortham Award

CONTACT: AmyLyn Reynolds | [email protected]?| 608-242-3050

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by Staff Sgt. Amber Peck

Though Staff Sgt. Matthew Joski of the 1157th Transportation Company has only been a member of the Wisconsin Army National Guard for six years, he has been selflessly and dutifully serving his community and country since 1989.

In recognition of his?service to both his community and the?Wisconsin?National Guard, Joski was awarded the 2022 1LT Thomas E. Wortham IV Achievement Award during a Feb. 4 ceremony at the Oshkosh Corporation Global Headquarters.

The Wisconsin National Guard award is named for the late 1st Lt. Thomas E. Wortham IV, who served in both Troop A, 105th Cavalry and the Chicago Police Department. He was a civil servant who led neighborhood watches, mentored youth, and conducted interventions to positively influence children in his community. He is a Bronze Star recipient and veteran of two Iraq deployments. Tragically, Wortham was murdered nearly 13 years ago outside his parents? Chicago home when four men attempted to steal his motorcycle.

Wortham?s sister, Sandra, spoke about the love that her brother had for the National Guard and how much this award carrying on the Guard?s tradition of service means to her and her family.

?Being a part of this Guard was very much his actual dream come true,? she said. ?So for us now to have the opportunity to meet you all and for you all to love us and be so kind to us all these years later is such a blessing.?

In his acceptance speech, Joski spoke of all the people that shaped who he is today and who he will share his award with: his mother and father, his wife Jacki, his children Sam, Abby, Olivia, and James, the Wisconsin National Guard, and the 1157th Transportation Company.

?I never considered the things that I do as anything remarkable or, for that matter, out of the ordinary,? he said.

Joski?s professionalism, empathy, and dedication to service and community show in every aspect of his long career history in the public sector: 10 years in the Marine Corp, 30 years in law enforcement, 12 years as a firefighter, spearheading an anti-bullying and prevention program, mowing a church hill every summer, donating his time to Toys for Tots, volunteering at Holy Rosary Parish school, championing the effort to replace his county?s jail, and even serving as a free bike mechanic in his neighborhood.

In his unit, Joski has volunteered to hold several additional duties such as the master resiliency position, master fitness trainer, combat lifesaver, suicide intervention officer, and more. A true testament to the ?involuntary reaction? his parent instilled in him which was to always step up and say yes.

When speaking of Joski, Lt. Col. Craig Jansen, commander of the 732nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, said, ?I have always admired that Staff Sgt. Joski can be the Sheriff of Kewaunee county, supervising 30 or so employees during the week, and then come over to Oshkosh on a drill weekend as a non-commissioned officer and be the backbone of the Army.?

Joski ended his acceptance speech by stating how he honors Wortham and how others can too.

?We honor 1st Lt. Wortham by the way in which we live and the lives we touch,? Joski said. ?We honor him by response when confronted with a choice to make a difference. We honor him by pursuing a life of purpose and challenging ourselves everyday with three basic questions: if not here, then where? If not now, then when? If not me, then who??

Also recognized at the award ceremony was the 2019 recipient, Sgt. Grant Kjellberg, whose ceremony was postponed due to COVID-19. The article for that event can be found at: [link removed].

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