Sacrifice is contagious, and often its rewards are cyclical.
Bismarck’s Building Official Brady Blaskowski was recently honored with the Employer Support of Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Patriot Award, after being nominated by one of his staff, who also serves in the North Dakota Army National Guard. Building Inspector Joey Houle was deployed towards the end of 2022.
The ESGR Patriot Award serves as recognition of strong support of an employee’s military service. The award was created as part of the nation’s transition to a volunteer military force in 1972. Today, nearly one-half of the nation’s fighting force serves in the National Guard and Reserve.
“I don’t view this as an award for me,” said Blaskowski. “I work with Joey, but it is really a City of Bismarck award. We have a lot of employees that work for the City of Bismarck and are out there defending our country.”
Houle has been employed with the City of Bismarck for five years and is one of seven inspectors who work to ensure buildings in the community are built to code.
“The staff we have is very close. They are a group that are friends outside of the office,” said Blaskowski. “When we first learned about Joey’s deployment we knew it was going to be a challenge. But the other staff were willing to cover those responsibilities. We are all part of a team and adjusting to a new situation.”
Houle echoed those sentiments about his civilian coworkers. “I really do appreciate them,” he said. “What they’ve done for me over the past year, it means everything.”
Deployed with the 112th Aviation Brigade with the Army National Guard, Houle serves as the Motor Sergeant for ground maintenance, tracking maintenance work orders for military equipment and managing a fleet of 49 rental vehicles. His goal is to bring order to the chaos of so many moving parts with repairs, upkeep and people needing specific vehicles at certain times.
“It gets interesting. It can get hectic at times,” said Houle, who has served with the National Guard for more than 30 years. “I’m fortunate that the five guys that work underneath me are pretty good soldiers.”
The logistics of his deployment duties are similar to work done with other building inspectors. His department has under a dozen people, including seven inspectors, two plans examiners, front office personnel and Blaskowski. Houle focuses on plumbing and ensures building infrastructure is up to the state’s plumbing codes. His interest in plumbing came from a chance meeting when he was first living on his own.
“I was 19 years old and I had to have a plumber come to my home and fix plumbing. It took him 15 minutes and he made 90 dollars,” said Houle. “I said, ‘I want to do that’. As I started working with it, it just came natural to me. Computers and technology wouldn’t take it away from the world. You will always need a plumber.”
When he joined the City of Bismarck, he brought more than 20 years of field experience to a profession where he could incorporate what he has learned. “Today, I’m able to share my knowledge with younger plumbers. I have gone through the experiences to know how it should be done and to make sure it is done that way and share what I’ve learned along the way.”
“Joey is a well-rounded inspector,” said Blaskowski. “He does a thorough job, but also understands why the work needs to be done. He’s reasonable and responsible and understands our role in the community. He takes pride in his work.”
As part of the ESGR Patriot Award experience, Blaskowski got to tour one of the military hangars in Bismarck, see the equipment that Houle helps maintain each day, and take a 40-minute ride in a helicopter.
“It was a cool experience, for sure,” said Blaskowski. “Getting the opportunity to fly in one of the helicopters and see what these individuals are doing for our country – it is humbling.”
“From the first day I met Brady, he was very interested in my military career and how it molded me,” said Houle. “He has always been 100-percent behind my decisions with what I do with the military. He knew when I was hired, there would be times where I would be gone for longer than normal. But he has always been 100-percent behind me.”
That support is key, according to Rob Keller, a communicator with decades of experience with the National Guard, who continues to serve as a North Dakota ESGR Representative.
“We talk about a three-legged stool. That stool is very secure, but if you take away one leg, it isn’t very stable,” said Keller. “One of those legs of that stool is the soldier. The other is the family, and the last is the employer. When a soldier deploys, if that person is worrying about what is happening back home, that is a combat multiplier. If they are thinking about their family or job, they are not focused and on point with the mission.”
“The City of Bismarck as a whole has been very supportive,” said Houle. “The HR (Human Resources) Department has made sure all the financial needs are taken care of and have made the process stress-free. I was apprehensive about going on deployment, but sitting down with Brady and working for him, he made me comfortable with it. He said, ‘I fully understand it, I get it, and we will work without you in the office and make adjustments.’ He really made the transition from civilian to military life comfortable.”
While a return date hasn’t yet been set for Houle, it is expected to be on the horizon. When he gets back, there is a department, an organization and a community excitedly waiting for him.
“North Dakota has a high propensity for patriotism,” said Keller. “One way we show that is with our huge welcomes. You see it when you have homecoming units and there are always veterans standing at the flag line … welcoming brothers and sisters back home.”