Kewaunee County Sheriff Matt Joski has received a prestigious honor, but not by any law enforcement entity, but rather by the Wisconsin National Guard.
Sheriff Joski, who is also a Staff Sargent in the National Guard, was named the recipient of the First Lieutenant Thomas E. Wortham IV Achievement Award during a Feb. 4 ceremony at the Oshkosh Corporation Global Headquarters.
We spoke with Sheriff Joski, who explained that the award honors guardsmen and women who are active in the guard and their community.
He explained that he is involved in a wide variety of things within Kewaunee County including working with Toys for Tots, and the Salvation Army, volunteering with his church community, providing mentorship for youth, and educating adults and children on suicide prevention.
Joski is a part of the 1157th Transportation Company, which has given him multiple opportunities to help within the state of Wisconsin and throughout the country.
“I have been activated for everything from flood mitigation down in portage county, to hurricane down in the south part of the nation,” he revealed. “I was placed on active duty to help with COVID testing around the state, to be a supporting element for elections during COVID when they couldn’t get enough volunteers and staff to facilitate elections.”
Joski also told us he was sent to Kenosha following the Jacob Blake shooting during the civil unrest.
We asked Joski how he balances both aspects of his life and he said it boils down to both sides understanding and appreciating the importance of the other.
“It’s almost therapeutic,” he said. “The things I do as Sheriff are very high level. I’m dealing with policy, I’m dealing with the politics, I’m dealing with budgets, and then I have the honor and the privilege to be able to transition and get down to ground level. As a Staff Sargent, I am leading troops, I’m actually implementing action plans, I am getting on missions.”
This is actually Joski’s second stint in the armed forces, as he previously served with the Marines in the 90s.
He spent 16 years as a civilian, working in law enforcement.
He rejoined the Army National Guard six years ago, and never looked back.
