This Week in USBP History

This Week in USBP History, 02/27-03/05

2/27/2022

Esprit de Corps

The workplace climate resulting from a combination of organizational pride and employee morale.

Organizational pride is the positive feeling experienced by employees from being part of a meaningful team that is rich in history, tradition and culture.
Employee morale is the feeling experienced by employees based in part on their perception of:
- Being valued by the organization,
- Fairly compensated, and
- Performing meaningful work.

Esprit de corps is reinforced through the shared goals, mission and values of the organization and its employees.

The definition turns Esprit de Corps into a simple formula and defines parts that comprise organizational pride and employee morale.

Esprit de Corps = Organizational Pride + Employee Morale

Esprit de Corps is the key to a healthy organization and engaged employees.

Honor First is foundational to the Border Patrol's organizational pride and integral to its Esprit de Corps.

USBP History
1907

On February 27, 1907, Mr. Black wrote a letter of complaint on Jeff Milton to President Theodore Roosevelt. The letter was sent to the Department of Labor where it was later sent to the National Archives. The letter does not contain a specific complaint but generalizations that end with Mr. Black stating that Milton “…has no right to carry gun…”

1926

On March 4, 1926, the Nogales Chamber of Commerce issued a resolution of appreciation to Customs Inspector Hugh Benton and Eugene Siddell of the Immigration Service for “uniform courtesy on the International Line…”
- Records show that “Eugene Siddell” was among the first Border Patrol hires in Noyes, Minnesota in 1924. (See page 6 of this document)
- 1926 Arizona newspaper clippings describe "Eugene Siddel"l as an Immigrant Inspector who had been wounded in France during WWI.
- It is uncertain if they are the same person.

1928

On March 1, 1928, San Antonio District Director William Whalen wrote a cover memo and forwarded, “Forty Suggestions to Guide and Assist New and Old Patrol Inspectors”. Although some of the suggestions may be a bit dated, many of them still apply today.
On March 5, 1928, H.R. 11755 was introduced which would have had the USBP be a separate agency under the Department of Labor.

1957

On March 4, 1957, William “Bill” Carter wrote a letter to Paul “Bing” Crosby. Bill was a Border Patrol Inspector that had been on leave for nearly 5 years while serving in the U.S. Air Force. Bill was asking Bing for assistance to restart his career in the USBP as his time in the USAF was coming to an end. Bing wrote back (in the same attachment above) expressing sorrow that he couldn’t assist other than providing another a better contact. The letter provides an interesting insight into the USBP and INS of the time:
- By 1957, the INS had reorganized into 4 regions.
- Border Patrol Inspectors maxed at GS-8’s with a base pay of $4,970.

Newton-Azrak Award Actions
(Follow this link to see examples of USBP employees Upholding Honor First)

An organization’s values are codified in its awards system. Recognizing the achievements, service and heroism of employees is important. It is critical for those in positions of leadership to value the workforce. Awards are a fundamental manner for leaders to demonstrate appreciation to the workforce for upholding the organizational values. – U.S. Border Patrol Honorary Awards

1984
David Gutierrez
Border Patrol Agent
Tucson Sector
Border Patrol Agent David Gutierrez was recognized for his courage and heroism in saving an individual from a flaming auto crash on March 1, 1984.  The crash vehicle was engulfed in flames when BPA Gutierrez, without concern for his own life, pulled the driver from the car to safety.  Although the crash victim received second and third degree burns over 65 percent of his body, his life was saved thanks to Gutierrez’s quick action.

1999
Michael F. McCarson
Supervisory Border Patrol Agent
Del Rio Sector
On March 1, 1999, in the early morning hours, agents working the Comstock checkpoint witnessed a vehicle crash through a fence and go out of control after hitting a deer on the highway, causing the vehicle to overturn and burst into flames.  Supervisory Border Patrol Agent Michael F. McCarson, upon witnessing the crash, immediately recognized the severity of the situation and acted with total disregard for his personal safety by fighting the flames and pulling the injured driver from the burning vehicle before it was totally overcome with fire.

Simultaneous with these life-saving actions, SBPA McCarson directed on-scene agents in rendering assistance while ensuring their safety at all times, coordinated an emergency response with local officers and emergency personnel, as well as performed first-aid treatment to the injured driver.  SBPA McCarson’s immediate and skillful emergency actions not only prevented a tragedy from escalating to a casualty, but clearly demonstrated his training and experience as a Border Patrol Agent and his dedication to his work.

2012
Manuel E. Barreda
Supervisory Border Patrol Agent
Rio Grande Valley Sector, Fort Brown Station
On the night of February 27, 2012, Agent Barreda witnessed a group of individuals attempting to cross the treacherous waters of the Brownsville Navigation Ship Channel, a 44-foot-deep and several hundred foot-wide waterway designed for large vessels. Agent Barreda observed that one of the individuals, later identified as Angel Celestino-Alvarado, was struggling to swim and keep his head above water.

Agent Barreda quickly evaluated the situation and notified the U.S. Coast Guard. He realized, however, that because of the frigid temperature of the water, the Coast Guard might not reach the victim before he succumbed to hypothermia or exhaustion. Agent Barreda jumped into the channel and swam 120 feet toward the drowning man, who advised Agent Barreda that he could no longer feel his legs or arms. Agent Barreda quickly secured the individual in his grasp and towed him toward the shore.

As Agent Barreda swam back to the bank of the channel in the dark with the victim in tow, he began to suffer effects from the cold water. Border Patrol Agent Jacob Gamboa, who had been nearby and was coordinating the rescue effort from the shoreline and monitoring Agent Barreda, entered the freezing water without hesitation and assisted Agent Barreda and the victim safely back to the bank of the Brownsville Navigation Ship Channel.

Agent Barreda’s heroic choice to voluntarily enter the water, coupled with Agent Gamboa’s assistance, led to the victim’s successful rescue when otherwise, he most certainly would have drowned.

USBP Fallen

As of December 8, 2021, the U.S. Border Patrol has suffered 151* fallen.
Titles

3 Mounted Watchmen fell before 1924 and are carried as Border Patrol fallen
48 Border Patrol Inspectors fell between 1924 and 1970
99 Border Patrol Agents have fallen since 1970
1 Enforcement Analysis Specialist

The names that appear below hold a place of honor. They have made the ultimate sacrifice in an effort to fulfill the oath each officer took to protect and defend the United States of America.

The facts regarding each officer are presented without major editing of the "language of the day" found in the reports detailing the circumstances of each event. This is done to provide the reader an association with historical timeframes.

Employees who died in the line of duty due to being exposed to deadly illnesses will not have the cause of death listed.

*With the exception of two of the fallen immediately below, all names are listed (or in the process of being included) on the official Honor Roll of U.S. Border Patrol fallen and inscribed on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. The U.S. Border Patrol should fix these discrepancies. HonorFirst.com honors both of the fallen.

Joe R. White - He is recognized as officially fallen by the U.S. Border Patrol but his name is not inscribed on the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial.
John Charles Gigax - His name is inscribed on the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial (see link) but he is not recognized as officially fallen by the U.S. Border Patrol. His EOW was November 7, 1999.

No LODD anniversaries this week.

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This Week in USBP History, 02/20-02/26

2/20/2022

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I hope everyone is having a relaxing weekend!

I think last week’s into is worth a repeat...

I changed the structure of the Esprit de Corps definition to highlight the part of employee morale. Let me pose rhetorical a question to those recipients that are still agents.

When workforce morale is low, where is/are employee perception(s) faltering and what can you do to change those perceptions?

Esprit de Corps
The workplace climate resulting from a combination of organizational pride and employee morale.

Organizational pride is the positive feeling experienced by employees from being part of a meaningful team that is rich in history, tradition and culture.
Employee morale is the feeling experienced by employees based in part on their perception of:
- Being valued by the organization,
- Fairly compensated, and
- Performing meaningful work.

USBP History
1904

On February 23, 1904, a law office wrote a letter of recommendation to the Secretary of Commerce and Labor for Jeff Milton to be a Chinese Inspector. A few things of note:
- As per the documents (see page 5) that support Milton’s federal retirement, his federal career was in the following positions:
  - Mounted Inspector – 1887-1889
  - Chinese Inspector – 1904-1913
  - Immigrant Inspector – 1913-1932
- The letter of recommendation is the oldest document that I collected from the National Archives.

1926

This February 26, 1926 document from the San Antonio District, speaks against Border Patrol Inspectors carrying their firearms in a visible holster and recommends that they be carried concealed under a long coat. This sentence really sums up the author’s opinion of law enforcement carrying their firearms in a visible holster –
- “In times past all officers dressed in frontier style with from one to three pistols in evidence, an in order that everyone might know that they were officers, and killers, a very short coat or jacket was worn”

1930

As per these documents, on February 23, 1930, Senior Patrol Inspector (SPI) Irvin Cone shot and killed Pedro Rodriguez in El Paso, TX. The encounter began with Rodriguez striking SPI Cone with a pistol leaving a deep cut on Cone’s face. There are several interesting passages in the document:
- An early mention of “…the Narcotic Weed known along the border as “Marihuana”…”
- Describing Rodriguez as a “bad hombre” in an official document
- Mentioning that SPI Cone used his personal, reliable S&W revolver “… in contra distinction to a great many of the Colt revolvers which are at present furnished this Service by the War Department.”
- The cover memo ends with a recommendation – “This office has heretofore recommend that such Colt revolvers be replaced with .45 caliber automatic pistols…”
This collection of documents details a gunfight between Border Patrol inspectors and alcohol smugglers that occurred on February 26, 1930 in El Paso, TX. Only one injury was reported; a smuggler was shot by one of his partners.

1932

This memo, written February 23, 1932, from the Jacksonville District to the Commissioner-General, describes how the district’s Border Patrol shooting team took 1st place in a state-wide law enforcement competition.
- The story of the beginnings of the USBP national pistol team can be found on the Honor First USBP History page.
On February 25, 1932, H.R. 11204, “Border Patrol Act, 1930” was introduced into the House. In the late 1920’s and early 1930’s, several bills were introduced into either the House or the Senate that would merge the Immigration and Customs patrols and/or place them under the U.S. Coast Guard.
- Please see this 1930 Congressional Record (page 12098) to see their discussions.
- Also see this different 1930 Congressional Record concerning H.R. 11204 to transfer the USBP to the USCG.

1937

On February 26, 1937, the El Paso District sent a memo to Chief of the Border Patrol Willard Kelly. The memo informed Chief Kelly that Charlie Askins had inspected, fired and adjusted the entire 900 Colt New Service revolvers (.38 caliber), and informed Kelly that they were ready to be distributed to the districts. Askins recorded firing each pistol. I only collected a few of the pages.

1939

Following up on last week’s post – On January 18, 1939, the Central Office (HQ for you newbies) issued a memo to the field to inventory all badges and cap insignia for all positions. All of the field responses have been collected from the National Archive giving the most complete list of badges and cap insignia available for that time. By February, the districts began to respond to the request:
- On February 25, 1939, the El Paso District responded with their report. There are several interesting portions of their report:
  - By this time, their district has been renumbered from 25 to 17.
  - The report includes some big names in the USBP history like Chief Patrol Inspector (CPI) Herbert Horsley and Charlie Askins
  - Two of the three CPI’s have Immigrant Inspector badges, not a BP badge.

1956

Acting, Acting, Acting…. I remember before I retired, it seemed that there were many people in acting leadership roles. Every person mentioned in this document from February 21, 1956, is in an acting role:
- Harlon Carter, Acting Assistant Commissioner, Enforcement Division
- W.P. Jaeger, Acting Regional Chief of Border Patrol
- Einar Wahl, Acting Chief of Border Patrol
- Acting Chief Patrol Inspector…

Newton-Azrak Award Actions
(Follow this link to see examples of USBP employees Upholding Honor First)

An organization’s values are codified in its awards system. Recognizing the achievements, service and heroism of employees is important. It is critical for those in positions of leadership to value the workforce. Awards are a fundamental manner for leaders to demonstrate appreciation to the workforce for upholding the organizational values. – U.S. Border Patrol Honorary Awards

1992
Jesse Collins
Senior Patrol Agent
Marfa Sector
On February 20, 1992, Senior Patrol Agent Jesse Collins voluntarily risked his own life and exhibited extraordinary courage rescuing a 15-year-old girl. The girl was speeding in a car when she lost control and the car plunged into a small, deep lake, with a water temperature of 35 degrees. When Agent Collins arrived, one Texas Department of Public Safety officer who had entered the water was struggling and having difficulty staying afloat. Agent Collins went into the lake and assisted the DPS officer to shore. He then went back into the lake and rescued the young girl from the sinking vehicle. In frigid waters, Agent Collins moved behind the helpless girl and pushed her toward the bank. After a number of pushes, each one resulting in Agent Collins going under water, they neared shallow water and a Texas police officer helped bring the girl out of the water.

USBP Fallen

As of December 8, 2021, the U.S. Border Patrol has suffered 151* fallen.

Titles

3 Mounted Watchmen fell before 1924 and are carried as Border Patrol fallen
48 Border Patrol Inspectors fell between 1924 and 1970
99 Border Patrol Agents have fallen since 1970
1 Enforcement Analysis Specialist

Joe R. White - He is recognized as officially fallen by the U.S. Border Patrol but his name is not inscribed on the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial.
John Charles Gigax - His name is inscribed on the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial (see link) but he is not recognized as officially fallen by the U.S. Border Patrol. His EOW was November 7, 1999.

1942
Ralph W. Ramsey
Date of Birth:                      February 22, 1915
Entered on Duty:                May 29, 1941
Title:                                   Patrol Inspector
End of Watch:                    February 26, 1942

Details:
Patrol Inspector Ralph W. Ramsey was killed on February 26, 1942, in Columbus, New Mexico, while attempting to board a freight train in search of aliens illegally in the United States. Patrol Inspector Harry E. Lennon, in charge of the two-man unit stationed in Columbus, was working with Inspector Ramsey at the time of the accident and related the following concerning the events at the time of the accident. The officers, while patrolling to the east of Columbus, observed an open boxcar on a regular westbound freight heading towards Columbus. The officers returned to Columbus, checked an eastbound freight train at a siding, and awaited the incoming westbound train. Inspector Ramsey took up a position between the siding and the main line while Inspector Lennon stood opposite him across the main line tracks. It was customary that the train crew halt the westbound freight at a water tower.

The officers had stationed themselves in the vicinity of the open boxcar they had observed. On this occasion; however, the train did not stop, proceeding on in order to clear the main track for the train on the siding. Apparently, Inspector Ramsey attempted to board the train when the open boxcar passed him. The first indication Inspector Lennon had that an accident had occurred was when he noticed an object beneath the moving train and realized it was his partner's body. As soon as the train passed, Inspector Lennon rushed to Inspector Ramsey. Death occurred within seconds after he reached his side.

1987
John R. McCravey
Date of Birth:                September 10, 1950
Entered on Duty:          September 9, 1985
Title:                              Border Patrol Agent
End of Watch:               February 23, 1987

Details:
On February 20, 1987, Agent John R. McCravey was sign cutting near Highway 98, east of Calexico, California. He joined a vehicle pursuit that involved an automobile suspected of transporting a group of smuggled aliens. The driver of the fleeing vehicle turned south on a dirt road leading back to the All American Canal, which serves as a boundary between Mexico and the United States. The billowing dust cloud made by the fleeing vehicle prevented Agent McCravey from clearly seeing the road. The reduced visibility may have contributed by diminishing his perception and reaction time, which affected his ability to react to a change in roadway grade and a turn in the road. Agent McCravey lost control of his vehicle, which overturned and rolled into the All American Canal, where it became submerged upside down.

Fellow officers and farm workers successfully removed Agent McCravey and the three illegal aliens he had arrested prior to getting involved in the pursuit from the vehicle. He died three days later in a San Diego, California hospital.

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This Week in USBP History, 02/13-02/19

2/13/2022

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I changed the structure of the Esprit de Corps definition to highlight the part of employee morale. Let me pose rhetorical a question to those recipients that are still agents.

When workforce morale is low, where is/are employee perception(s) faltering and what can you do to change those perceptions?

Esprit de Corps
The workplace climate resulting from a combination of organizational pride and employee morale.

Organizational pride is the positive feeling experienced by employees from being part of a meaningful team that is rich in history, tradition and culture.
Employee morale is the feeling experienced by employees based in part on their perception of:
- Being valued by the organization,
- Fairly compensated, and
- Performing meaningful work.

USBP History
1928

This memo, written on February 16, 1928 by former “Chief” of the Border Patrol George Harris, warns employees about visiting Mexico too frequently.
- George Harris would be one of the first two Chiefs of the Border Patrol (called Supervisor, Border Patrol) in 1926 with the implementation of General Order 61. In 1927, he would be reassigned to other positions leaving Ruel Davenport to be the sole Chief of the Border Patrol. In 1932, Harris would return as the Chief of the Border Patrol (called Director at that time) and be the only person to serve nonconsecutive terms in the position.

1939

On January 18, 1939, the Central Office (HQ for you newbies) issued a memo to the field to inventory all badges and cap insignia for all positions. All of the field responses have been collected from the National Archive giving the most complete list of badges and cap insignia available for that time. By February, the districts began to respond to the request:
- On February 13, 1939, the Jacksonville District responded with their report.
- On February 14, 1939, the Los Angeles and Newport Districts responded with their reports.
- On February 15, 1929, the Detroit District responded with their report.

On February 13, 1939, the Central Office authorized Army sun tan uniforms for wear in the El Paso District (modern-day Tucson, El Paso and Big Bend Sectors). Interestingly, the memo shows a full transition to the tan uniform by authorizing the forest green rough duty uniforms to be worn until they become unserviceable. Also, the tan uniforms were authorized only for the three districts along the Mexican border; the Los Angeles, El Paso and San Antonio Districts.
- It is unknown when the tan uniforms began to be used, but the Border Patrol Museum has photographs that show khaki uniforms were worn in the lower Rio Grande Valley as early as 1949.

1951

By this time, the Camp Chigas buildings were old and new facilities were needed. This memo, written on February 15, 1951 shows that the Border Patrol had acquired land and planned move the Academy to Ascarate Park. Of course, this plan was not implemented.

Newton-Azrak Award Actions
(Follow this link to see examples of USBP employees Upholding Honor First)

An organization’s values are codified in its awards system. Recognizing the achievements, service and heroism of employees is important. It is critical for those in positions of leadership to value the workforce. Awards are a fundamental manner for leaders to demonstrate appreciation to the workforce for upholding the organizational values. – U.S. Border Patrol Honorary Awards

1993
Michael Deshaies
Senior Patrol Agent
New Orleans Sector
Senior Patrol Agent Michael Deshaies was recognized for his efforts in saving a person from drowning near Pensacola, Florida during a February cold spell. On February 18, 1993, Agent Deshaies, in an act of unparalleled bravery and heroism, exhibited total disregard for his personal safety by diving into the frigid water of a wide drainage canal and pulling a drowning victim to safety. The victim, a fleeing illegal alien, was carried ashore and revived by Agent Deshaies.

2021
Carlos A. Lara - photo
Border Patrol Agent
El Centro, CA
On February 18, 2019, Border Patrol Agent Carlos Lara was assigned to the Calexico Station’s area of responsibility when, beyond the call of duty and facing grave danger he entered the All-American Canal to rescue a man in distress. Before entering the water, several attempts to assist the drowning man were made using a rescue disc. Once it was determined that the rescue disc was ineffective, Agent Lara disregarded the danger of the swift current and entered the frigid and treacherous water. Agent Lara swam to the victim, took control of him and pulled him back to the canal bank and to safety. Agent Lara’s quick and selfless response at the risk of his own life prevented the loss of another life. Agent Lara’s actions brought great credit upon himself and United States Border Patrol.

USBP Fallen
As of December 8, 2021, the U.S. Border Patrol has suffered 151* fallen.
Titles

3 Mounted Watchmen fell before 1924 and are carried as Border Patrol fallen
48 Border Patrol Inspectors fell between 1924 and 1970
99 Border Patrol Agents have fallen since 1970
1 Enforcement Analysis Specialist

Joe R. White - He is recognized as officially fallen by the U.S. Border Patrol but his name is not inscribed on the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial.
John Charles Gigax - His name is inscribed on the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial (see link) but he is not recognized as officially fallen by the U.S. Border Patrol. His EOW was November 7, 1999.

No Line-of-Duty-Death anniversaries for the week.

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This Week in USBP History, 02/06-02/12

2/6/2022

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Good morning!

I’ve said before that these emails are not meant to be controversial, harassing or otherwise negative. However, infrequently, something comes up that I believe needs mentioning. That occurs today related to the actions in the Newton-Azrak Award section where two agents were recognized for actions that had occurred 16-years earlier. Which was and is a tremendous example of the USBP valuing its workforce (including a retiree)! Unfortunately, since April 2000, the Border Patrol has all but ceased recognizing past actions older than 2 years, contrary to the USBP Honorary Awards policy. That choice to stray from valuing the workforce has been and continues to be to the detriment of hundreds and hundreds of employees.

It is my sincere hope that, in these times when the morale of the workforce is so low, that there is a renewed effort to value the workforce, in all that that simple phrase entails. Employee recognition does not fix morale problems, but they are a low hanging fruit that has many orders of effect.

Now to This Week in USBP History!

Esprit de Corps
The workplace climate resulting from a combination of organizational pride and employee morale.

Organizational pride is the positive feeling experienced by employees from being part of a meaningful team that is rich in history, tradition and culture.
Employee morale is the feeling experienced by employees based in part on their perception of being valued by the organization, fairly compensated and performing meaningful work.

Esprit de corps is reinforced through the shared goals, mission and values of the organization and its employees.
The definition turns Esprit de Corps into a simple formula and defines parts that comprise organizational pride and employee morale.
Esprit de Corps = Organizational Pride + Employee Morale
Esprit de Corps is the key to a healthy organization and engaged employees.
Honor First is foundational to the Border Patrol's organizational pride and integral to its Esprit de Corps.

USBP History
1911

On February 8, 1911, an announcement for Mounted Inspector was issued. This position has also been referred to as the Mounted Watchmen and Mounted Guard.
- There was an organization called the Immigration Patrol that was different from the aforementioned and was abolished on August 18, 1919 as per this 1920 document. Very little information is know about it.

1926

On February 12, 1926, Chief Supervisor Irving P. Wixon who would later raise to be the Deputy Commissioner of the INS, wrote a 9-page memo concerning the conditions of the Port of Calexico. Interesting aspects of the memo:
- “Chief Supervisor” was a title unique to Wixon. He appeared to be a power assistant to the Commissioner-General and work out of HQ. It is possible that the position evolved to become “Deputy Commissioner”.
- Wixon criticizes:
  - The efficiency of the Voluntary Return
  - Border Patrol inspectors’ poor fluency in Spanish
  - Border Patrol inspectors’ lack of knowledge of immigration law

1928

On February 28, 1928, Ruel Davenport was the sole Chief of the Border Patrol and was conducting a tour of the Buffalo District at the direction of the Commissioner-General. He wrote a detailed, 5-page report on his observations of the district and it two Border Patrol sub-districts, Buffalo and Niagara Falls.

1929

On February 6, 1929, Montreal District Commissioner of Immigration Landis wrote a memo to the Commissioner-General. The memo has several interesting points:
- It shows the hierarchy of Border Patrol inspectors being “kicked upstairs” to Immigrant Inspectors.
- Commissioner Landis writes of his disagreement with Assistant Superintendent Antonio Bonazzi (although he doesn’t mention his name).
  - An Assistant Superintendent was the highest-ranking uniformed position in the Border Patrol (see this link for the early rank insignia/hierarchy). Each district along the border had one. Landis was writing about his non-concurrence with his subordinate.

1930

On February 12, 1930, Assistant Superintendent Nicolas Donald Collaer (7th Chief of the Border Patrol), submitted a blueprint for a reorganization of the El Paso District sub-districts. There are several interesting aspects of the proposal:
- The El Paso District, District #25, was comprised of:
  - Sub-district #1 – Modern-day Tucson Sector
  - Sub-district #2 – Modern-day El Paso Sector
  - Sub-district #3 – Modern-day Big Bend Sector
- The blueprint primarily shows sub-district #1, the modern-day Tucson Sector. On the right side of the blueprint, written vertically are mentions of the other two sub-districts.
- Early use of the titles Assistant Chief Patrol Inspector, Sector Chief (modern PAIC), Assistant Sector Chief (Modern DPAIC)
- Calling modern stations “Sectors”

1955

On February 7, 1955, a person named Crosby sent Chief of the Border Patrol Harlon Carter a comparison of the USBP promotions and resignations. It compares Jul-Dec 1953 to Jul-Dec 1954.

Newton-Azrak Award Actions
(Follow this link to see examples of USBP employees Upholding Honor First)

An organization’s values are codified in its awards system. Recognizing the achievements, service and heroism of employees is important. It is critical for those in positions of leadership to value the workforce. Awards are a fundamental manner for leaders to demonstrate appreciation to the workforce for upholding the organizational values. – U.S. Border Patrol Honorary Awards

“An organization’s values are codified in its awards system.” The USBP Honorary Awards policy codifies but is not limited to;

Administrative accomplishments,
Acts of heroism and valor,
Law enforcement actions, and
Lifesavings actions.

It also codifies valuing the workforce by providing paths to recognize past events when those actions had gone unrecognized or under-recognized by the USBP.
Such was the case in the events highlighted today with Gregory Stecher and George Woodward. Both were involved in an incredibly dangerous, low-light rescue on the thin ice of Lake Champlain. Both received high recognition from outside of the USBP, but nothing from the USBP. After 16 years, the USBP corrected that oversight and presented them with our highest recognition, the Newton-Azrak Award. It should be noted that George Woodward was retired and is currently the only person to have to received the Newton-Azrak Award while retired. They are examples of employees upholding Honor First and of the USBP valuing its workforce.

Gregory M. Stecher - photo
Border Patrol Agent
Swanton, VT
Past Event
In the morning hours of February 11, 2005, Agent Stecher responded to a call to support a Coast Guard rescue mission involving a partially submerged vehicle on the thin ice of Lake Champlain. Two men had become stranded on the snow-covered ice when their vehicle broke through the ice. The USCG Rescue team became exhausted with the onset of hypothermia and requested assistance. Agent Stecher was aware that recent weather conditions were conducive to thin ice and that another rescue snowmobile had already broken through the ice. Beyond the call of duty and facing grave danger, Agent Stecher operated his snowmobile on the thin ice and rescued one of the fishermen while his partner and Vermont Fish and Game units rescued the Coast Guardsmen. While speeding to shore with a victim onboard, Agent Stecher’s snowmobile began to break through the ice. Only by maintaining very high speed was he able to stay afloat and complete the rescue. Agent Stecher’s actions brought great credit upon himself and the United States Border Patrol.

George P. Woodward - photo
Border Patrol Agent
Swanton, VT
Past Event
In the morning hours of February 11, 2005, Agent Woodward responded to a call to support a Coast Guard rescue mission involving a partially submerged vehicle on the thin ice of Lake Champlain. Two men had become stranded on the snow-covered ice when their vehicle broke through the ice. The USCG Rescue team became exhausted with the onset of hypothermia and requested assistance. Agent Woodward was aware that recent weather conditions were conducive to thin ice and that another rescue snowmobile had already broken through the ice. Beyond the call of duty and facing grave danger, Agent Woodward operated his snowmobile on the thin ice and rescued one of the fishermen while his partner and Vermont Fish and Game units rescued the Coast Guardsmen. While speeding to shore with a victim onboard, Agent Woodward's snowmobile began to break through the ice. Only by maintaining very high speed was he able to stay afloat and complete the rescue. Agent Woodward's actions brought great credit upon himself and the United States Border Patrol.

USBP Fallen
As of December 8, 2021, the U.S. Border Patrol has suffered 151* fallen.
Titles

3 Mounted Watchmen fell before 1924 and are carried as Border Patrol fallen
48 Border Patrol Inspectors fell between 1924 and 1970
99 Border Patrol Agents have fallen since 1970
1 Enforcement Analysis Specialist

Joe R. White - He is recognized as officially fallen by the U.S. Border Patrol but his name is not inscribed on the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial.
John Charles Gigax - His name is inscribed on the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial (see link) but he is not recognized as officially fallen by the U.S. Border Patrol. His EOW was November 7, 1999.

Norman G. Ross
Date of Birth: May 15, 1901
Entered on Duty: February 23, 1926
Title: Patrol Inspector
End of Watch: February 10, 1928
Details:
Patrol Inspector Norman G. Ross was shot and killed near Kane Springs, California, on the afternoon of February 10, 1928. He had arrested two Mexican aliens and was attempting to convey them to Patrol Headquarters at El Centro. The aliens, in whose car they were being transported, had a revolver concealed in the automobile, which one of the aliens used to kill Inspector Ross. His body was found on the back seat of the aliens' abandoned car. He had been shot through the head.
Survivor benefits - As per this document, his wife received $67.50 per month for her and one child.

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This Week in USBP History, 02/27-03/05

This Week in USBP History, 02/20-02/26

This Week in USBP History, 02/13-02/19

This Week in USBP History, 02/06-02/12

Clifford Gill

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