In a ceremony on May 2 an agency of the Department of Defense honored Oak Bluffs police chief Erik Blake for his support of employees who serve in the National Guard with the “Patriot and Above and Beyond.”
Mr. Blake received the award in ceremonies at Otis Air National Guard Base in Bourne. Oak Bluffs police officer David Berube, who is also a chaplain for the National Guard, nominated Mr. Blake.
Officer Berube recently completed a deployment at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, which took him away from his job for four months on relatively short notice. In his nomination letter, Mr. Berube wrote, “Chief Blake was, as usual, exceptionally supportive and assured me that if a pay gap occurred that he would make up the difference. … He, and the other members of the department display great patriotism and support for me, our military, and our nation’s values. Every member of the Guard and Reserve should benefit from the support of this type of leadership and this type of organization in their civilian life.”
