Guardsman, wife honor Cape Bank of Missouri

(from left to right) Benjie Fergusan, Kristy Layton, John M. Thompson, Matt Jenkins (of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserves), Lisa Rodman, Frank Rodman, Beth Ham and Tina Telle.

For the wife of a deployed Guardsman, life can resemble being a single-parent for a year. Taking on the dual role of two parents while joggling a job and the inevitable unplanned and unexpected events can be a tremendous load to carry, but Lisa Rodman found support from not only her Family but her employer as well.

The Bank of Missouri and its president, John Thompson, were recently presented with a Patriot Award in recognition of their extraordinary support of Rodman and her husband Frank during his deployment with the Missouri National Guard Agribusiness Development Team VI in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2012.

"For ten months they supported me with time off as needed to handle things as a single mother with a college student, high school senior and sixth grader," said Rodman.

What really made a difference was when Thompson and her colleagues went above and beyond to support her husband and the Soldiers of his team, said Rodman.

On April 15, 2012 the base her husband was stationed at was attacked, destroying the Soldiers' barracks with many of their personal and electronic devices.

"They held fundraisers and provided over $100 apiece for each team member that lost their electronics," said Rodman.

Frank remembers that at the time he and his fellow Soldiers were still trying to wrap their heads around what had happened.

"All the things they had brought to be comfortable and make it through the year were gone," said Frank. "When you lose your little cubby hole of belongings like that, it's devastating and stressful."

When the money arrived from the bank they were shocked, said Frank.

"To know that a stranger, someone you've never met before, would do something like that for you was amazing to them," he said. "They were really appreciative. They really were."

Johnson said he and the bank are humbled by the award.

"Our people are extremely important to us," said Johnson. "I know it was a trying time for her and we're always glad to do that for one of our associates."

Following the bank's mission and core values every day above and beyond the normal day-to-day activities is important to everyone who works there and it's why supporting Rodman, her Family and her husband's unit was easy, said Johnson.

"Frank isn't directly employed with us, but he's like Family," said Johnson. "To be able to help military Families at a time of need is just who we are and what we're about."

Rodman said she felt their support every day.

"I never had to worry," she said.

For more information about the Missouri National Guard, please visit www.moguard.com and our social media sites: www.facebook.com/Missouri.National.Guard; www.twitter.com/Missouri_NG; www.youtube.com/MoNationalGuard; www.myspace.com/missouri_ng; www.flickr.com/photos/missouriguard; www.moguard.com/blog; www.pinterest.com/monationalguard/

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