In a quiet ceremony at the Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos on Friday, three volunteers were honored for their work inside the base as military leaders struggled to decommission more than 4,000 federalized members of the California National Guard.
Earlier this year, the military population of the base exploded after the Trump Administration launched an effort with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that swelled the ranks of the base to troop levels not seen since World War II.
Two Orange County residents and an L.A. area volunteer were awarded the “California Achievement Medal” by the state’s Military Department for “exceptional achievement” from July through August of this year.
With a room full of troops watching inside the headquarters of the 40th Infantry Division of JFTB, Brigadier General Robert Paoletti presented medals to Stephanie Pofcher, Gordon Crane, and Reginald Fields for their volunteer work inside the base during the chaotic days of demobilizing the more than 4000 troops at the base.
“Our job as leaders is to take care of soldiers,” said Paoletti. “This is what the Army trains and pays us to do. But it is a lot easier for us to do that work when we have volunteers like these three that show up and take care of our soldiers,” he said.
“These citizens helped us do something that had never been done,” the Brigadier General said.
Paoletti said it may sound simple to “demobilize” a service member, but once the federal government got involved, “you have no idea how much more paperwork” is required.
Service members from the 40th Infantry Division thank the three civilians for their assistance during the recent task force deployment and demobilization at JFTB.
He said Pofcher was there for six days, “not getting paid like us,” noting that “she did six different briefings and helped to demobilize approximately 1500 service members.”
“As a citizen warrior, receiving the California Achievement Medal is an extraordinary and humbling honor,” she said later.
“My heart is filled with deep gratitude and respect for the men and women in uniform — especially those serving in our Reserve Components in California. Their service, whether in times of peace, war, or natural disasters, defines what it means to be our local heroes,” the base volunteer said.
“We made history,” she said of the three volunteers.
Paoletti said Crane managed the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) booth for seven days, working with approximately 1800 service members.
Fields briefed more than 1,000 service members and he was on base for three days, said Paoletti.
“We are here to honor them today for their sacrifice and for their volunteerism and help us take care of ourselves,” Gen. Paoletti said.
Paoletti said the medals were authorized by Lt. Col. Michael A. Mineni, Jr. Director of the California Military Department’s J9 Joint Resiliency Project.
The J9 supports the acquisition, development, employment, and retention of talented Soldiers, Airmen, Civilians, and Volunteers needed to achieve holistic readiness, according to the California Military Department.
During the ceremony, Lt. Col. Ruth Rivas read the order to award the medals.
“Attention to order. California Achievement Medal is presented to Mr. Gordon Crane, Mr. Reginald Fields, and Miss Stephanie Pofcher for exceptional achievement during the period of 19, July 2025, to 1, August 2025. These individuals distinguished themselves while serving as Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve volunteers in support of the demobilization of nearly 4000 California National Guardsmen.”
Paoletti said the public should remember that behind each member of the CalGuard, there is generally an employer who needs to be coordinated with, so the ESGR plays a vital role.
After the ceremony, the throng of service members inside the 40th Infantry Division headquarters on the base lined up to shake hands with the three medal awardees.
The general said facilitating 4,000 troops and then demobilizing them so quickly has never been done. “We proved what California can do, and we can do things like that because of people like all of you,” he told the volunteers.