OCTC's Hendricks Awarded Marechaussee Medal

Honor dates back to 1778 at Valley Forge

by Bernie Hale

Owensboro, KY (08/16/2023) — Owensboro Community & Technical College's (OCTC) Director of Public Safety, Jeff Hendricks, was awarded the prestigious Order of the Marechaussee. The honor is one of the highest honors bestowed upon a military policeman (MP) in the Military Police Regimental Association. Hendricks has served in the US Army Reserves for more than 30 years. The award was named after the Marechaussee Corps, formed in 1778 at Valley Forge by General George Washington to police the Army and secure fugitives.

"We are so excited that Jeff has received this honor. He is most deserving and works tirelessly in all his endeavors. He truly epitomizes the spirit of the Order of the Marechaussee" commented OCTC President Dr. Scott Williams.

The award must be approved by the Commandant of the Military Police Corps, and less than 105 of the MPs in the Army with more than ten years of service in the Military Police Corps Regiment are ever awarded this honor. There are three categories of the Order of the Marechaussee: gold, silver, and bronze. Hendricks was awarded the bronze medal indicating that the nomination was by an MPRA MP Colonel or higher, and the Commandant of the Military Police Corps approved the award.

To be eligible, an MP must have rendered ten years of significant service or support to more than one element of the MP Regiment. Only 10% of the soldiers that are nominated are awarded the Order of the Marechaussee.

Hendricks added, "Being recognized by one's peers in a profession of professionals such as the Military Police is one of the highest honors anyone can receive. I have always tried to lead by example and set the next generation of leaders up for success. Being nominated and then selected into the Order of the Marechaussee by the members of MP Corps Regiment means that I must have done my job well."

Hendricks is a Lt. Colonel in the US Army Reserves with more than 30 years of service. He served as the Provost Marshal/Emergency Services Director for the Kentucky National Guard's Garrison Training Command-KY, Wendell H. Ford Regional Training Center, in Greenville, from 2010-2015. In addition, he was deployed and served in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Guantanamo Bay and Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan.

Hendricks has more than 26 years of safety, security, and emergency management experience, including serving with the Daviess County Detention Center and the Daviess County Sheriff's Office. He started at OCTC in 2016 and helped guide the college from a team of three part-time Public Safety Officers (PSO) to three full-time and three part-time PSOs covering three local campuses and events. Hendricks was integral to the college's COVID response and has developed the OCTC Emergency Response Plan and serves on the statewide peer team for PSO Directors.

He began his educational journey at Hopkinsville Community College and now holds a Master of Science in Health Services and Emergency Disaster Management and Planning, graduating Magna Cum Laude from Touro University International.

Hendricks and his wife Stacy have been married for 24 years and live in Owensboro. Their daughter Aubry lives in Louisville, and their other daughter Makenna is a student at NKU.

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