Faribault Beyond The Yellow Ribbon Chairman On AM Minnesota 4-2-2015

Rice County Sheriff Troy Dunn is the chairman this year of the Beyond The Yellow Ribbon Committee and will update us on what the organization does for military veterans.

Faribault was proclaimed a Beyond The Yellow Ribbon community on June 1, 2012, and I have to say it was one of the proudest days I've witnessed in my nearly 28 years in Faribault. The proclamation ceremony was fantastic on the campus of Shattuck. The perfect setting because the school used to be a military academy.

Why was I proud? Faribault has been a great supporter of the military going all the way back to its early days. The community cemeteries are filled with Civil War veterans' graves and the Civil War broke out not long after Faribault was platted. I already mentioned the Shattuck connection, and I was one of the first members named to a citizens committee for our local National Guard unit in the early '90s. My father served in World War II, all my uncles were in the military, many of my cousins have been involved militarily and both grandfathers served in World War I. Even though I wasn't in the military I certainly do support any efforts to make life a bit easier for families when soldiers are deployed or when they return home.

We'll get details about the latest happenings with the organization, which supports military members and their families in the areas of mental wellness, student support, child care and family reintegration assistance.

I hope you'll tune in at 9:30 a.m. and learn more about how you can become involved.