Police officer wore patch under body armor in Iraq as National Guard soldier

Kennewick police officer welcomed home from Iraq

BY PAULA HORTON, TRI-CITY HERALD

KENNEWICK -- A Kennewick police officer who spent most of the past year with the National Guard in Iraq was welcomed back to work Friday with a celebration at the police station.

Officer Jeff Sagen, a patrol officer in Kennewick for five years, received a Hometown Hero Award from Kennewick Police Chief Ken Hohenberg.

"Our philosophy is not only to make sure our own city's safe, but we work very hard to contribute to the Tri-Cities' safety as a whole," Hohenberg told the Herald. "We have a lot of good federal partners too. ... Officer Sagen just took our philosophy further to another country."

Sagen was stationed for just more than nine months in Balad, which is in north central Iraq. He was with 3rd Battalion, 116th Calvary Regiment and was promoted to captain during his tour.

He kept the Kennewick Police Department close to him by wearing his KPD patch on his armor.

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Sagen is one of many National Guards and Reservists around the country serving at home and then topping it off with serving wherever they are needed. They continue to risk their lives back home but receive less support than regular military service members. Active duty troops have the support of everyone in their company but when the citizen soldiers come home, they are back to work with few understanding where they've been. We need to support them more than we do and appreciate how devoted they are to their country and communities.