TOLEDO, Ohio – CQA Solutions, Ltd. (www.cqasolutions.co) is thrilled to recognize Holly Smith, Head of Product Development, as a recipient of a military coin. Coins are normally given by superior officers in recognition of special achievement by a member of the unit. It is rare and an extreme honor for a coin to be awarded to a civilian.
Holly’s coin was presented at Camp Perry on 23 July 2014, after she received a Certificate of Appreciation from Master Sergeant (MSgt.) Messersmith, the Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge (NCOIC) of the Ohio Army National Guard.
Holly received the certificate and coin for making more than 160 paracord survival bracelets and handing them out to military personnel from all branches, including members of the National Matches Support Detachment, which is comprised of Ohio Army National Guard members.
The Unit was so moved by her efforts that a request by Sergeant (Sgt.) Potter was brought to MSgt. Messersmith to recognize Holly for her gift to the soldiers. It was decided that she should be presented with the Certificate of Appreciation and then coined. MSgt. Messersmith read the certificate to her while a portion of the unit stood at attention behind her.
“When soldiers came to me with how much your bracelets meant to them, I knew it was important to them and, therefore, important to me,” said Msgt. Messersmith as the certificate was presented.
Second Lieutenant Findlayson, the Officer in Charge (OIC) of the unit, reached out to shake Holly’s hand with a coin in the palm of his hand, thus coining her with the National Matches Support Team Coin of Excellence.
“I wanted to thank the men and women of our armed forces for their service and sacrifice,” said Holly. “The bracelets serve as a reminder each time they look at it that there are people out there thinking of them and the sacrifices they make serving our country. Soldiers are an incredible group of men and women that deserve so much and sometimes it’s the little things that touch them the most.”
Holly also made a special batch of 40 gold and black paracord bracelets for the M1 for Vets group, to match their team colors. The mission of M1 for Vets is to “recognize the service and sacrifice of our Combat Wounded Veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan by providing a sense of community and comradeship similar to that experienced in active service. A comfortable, supportive environment populated by other wounded veterans where they can talk about shared experiences, problems and special needs. This enables a healing of the mind and spirit that, in our experience, translates to a faster recovery of the body.”
In thanks, the M1 for Vets leader made Holly an honorary member of the M1 for Vets Rifle Team, complete with a team baseball cap.
CQA Solutions, Ltd. takes great pride in supporting all our troops and veterans. CQA Solutions employs numerous veterans and always encourages veterans to apply.
About CQA Solutions, Ltd.
CQA Solutions, Ltd. (CQAS) is a privately held, woman-owned professional services firm providing Construction Quality Assurance (CQA) to a broad range of clients. Focusing solely on the technical spectrum of the industry, we work hand-in-hand with many reputable civil and environmental engineering firms throughout the United States.
Established in 2003, CQAS has quickly become a reputable and sought-after source for providing technical support on a wide range of projects. Led by key staff members with over 57 years of diverse individual CQA experience, CQAS is meeting client requirements on projects ranging in size from less than one acre to 300+ acres. Our experience spans a variety of sectors, including agriculture, industrial, energy, and waste management, as well as various forms of government. From small construction projects to large landfill expansions, CQAS meets every client need. We handle everything from sampling, compaction testing, geosynthetics, gas systems, as-built surveys, Leak Integrity Surveys and certification report preparation and are trained for work on hazardous sites. www.cqasolutions.co
