Page 2 - FE Blue Summer 2019 Final

From the Colonel

From the Colonel

Excepts from Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin’s since Day One – and that is your
remarks to the 84th Recruit Training Troop willingness to help others and to serve
graduating class, June 27, 2019. a cause larger than yourself. You must
continue to embrace the compassion
oday, we will graduate 171 members and humanity that we expect from all
of the 84th Recruit Training Troop... of our Troopers... For those citizens
TYou have achieved a momentous with whom you speak, or pull over, or
accomplishment, an accomplishment give a ticket to; that interaction may
made possible first and foremost by your well be, the one time in their lives that
desire to serve others, and to be part of a they will have personal contact with a
mission that is larger than yourself. Clearly, police officer. How do you want them to
you could have chosen an easier career remember you?
path. But, you chose law enforcement,
because you want to help and protect I hope that you want them to remember
others, and there is nothing more you as courteous, professional,
admirable than that... serious in demeanor and action, firmly
committed to impartial enforcement of state and federal
You join a Department that embraces the benefits of laws. I hope you want to be remembered as someone
community policing, but also takes responsibility for who always took whatever decisive action was
protecting long stretches of highways. A Department necessary and appropriate, under the law, to arrest
that patrols our roads, combats street gangs, criminals, end threats, and protect victims, bystanders
investigates homicides and other violent crimes. You and your fellow officers.
join a Department that is on the front lines of the war
against drug trafficking, and that protects our way of But I equally hope that you want the citizens with whom
life from the threat of terrorism. This is the wide-ranging you interact, to remember you as being fair and polite,
mission you have chosen to join. But even with that as having understanding of life’s circumstances, as
desire to serve, you still needed several other qualities showing compassion.
to make it here today. You needed to be smart, resilient
and resolved to not quit when the road got tough. After today, we send you out on our roads and
highways not as robots, not as machines, but as
You needed to understand ethics, because integrity human beings, as members of the community that
must be at the core of every Trooper. You needed you will serve and protect, capable and willing of
courage, because we trained you to perform in a calling taking whatever enforcement action is required and
that runs towards danger, not away from it. appropriate against criminals who threaten or harm
You had to be willing to improve yourselves in so many others, but just as capable and willing to comfort a
ways. You had to study new topics. You had to be scared child, to calm an anxious victim, or to show
able to run, or at least commit yourself to gutting out patience and restraint when explaining the law or
those runs, along with the physical training. You had fielding a question, even when we think the answer
to learn how to handle pressure, to handle constant should be obvious.
scrutiny, and, yes, at times to handle being yelled at.
You have assumed a great responsibility, and we
In so many ways, you are not the same person who convey upon you great authority and power to fulfill
walked through those doors, up on the hill, in the it. As you do so, I promise you this – any kindnesses
middle of New Braintree, six months ago. You are you show, to those you serve, will not be perceived
better, because you have been trained superbly as weakness. Quite the contrary, it is proof of your
and honed to a sharp edge. You are ready to be strength.
Massachusetts State Troopers.
I wish you all great success over the course of your
But there are some parts of you that have not changed career. Thank you and be safe.
2 French and Electric Blue