{"id":150041,"date":"2026-06-18T21:46:16","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T01:46:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thevalleyledger.com\/?p=150041"},"modified":"2026-06-18T21:47:18","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T01:47:18","slug":"desales-university-office-of-veterans-and-military-services-receives-distinguished-patriots-award","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevalleyledger.com\/?p=150041","title":{"rendered":"DeSales University Office of Veterans and Military Services Receives Distinguished Patriot\u2019s Award"},"content":{"rendered":"

Center Valley, Pa. (June 2026) <\/em>\u2014 The DeSales University Office of Veterans and Military\u00a0Services has been named the recipient of the prestigious Distinguished Patriot\u2019s Award by the Lehigh Valley Military Affairs Council (LVMAC). The award was presented during the annual Salute to the Troops Dinner held May 8, 2026, on the DeSales University campus.<\/p>\n

Wendy Badman, Director of Veterans and Military Services and VA School Certifying Official, accepted the honor on behalf of the office. The Distinguished Patriot\u2019s Award recognizes exemplary leadership, advocacy, and dedication in support of veterans, active-duty service members, and their families. The recognition highlights DeSales University\u2019s steadfast, hands-on commitment to serving military-connected students.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am deeply honored to accept this award on behalf of the Office of Veterans and Military<\/p>\n

Services and the entire DeSales University community,\u201d said Badman. \u201cAt DeSales, our Salesian values of humility, gentleness, patience, wisdom, and hospitality guide everything we do. These principles remind us that education is about more than earning a degree; it is about building a community where individuals feel welcomed, supported, and valued. For our veteran and military-connected students, that sense of belonging is especially meaningful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Badman emphasized that the recognition reflects a collective effort across the university and its partners. \u201cThis award is a testament to the commitment of our faculty, staff, leadership, alumni, donors, and community partners who work tirelessly to ensure our students have the opportunities and support they deserve. Our veteran and military-connected students are our purpose. They are future leaders, and we are proud to support them in their continued journey of service and success.\u201d<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s Salute to the Troops Dinner honored the United States Air Force and also marked a significant leadership transition within LVMAC. Major General Gerald Still, USAF (Ret.), was recognized for 38 years of service to the organization, including 17 years as President, as he ceremonially passed the gavel to incoming President Lt. Col. Alexander Alex, MSC, USAF (Ret.).<\/p>\n

The Distinguished Patriot\u2019s Award adds to a growing list of accolades for the DeSales Office of Veterans and Military Services. The office has received recognition from organizations including the Pennsylvania National Guard, the U.S. Department of Defense Vietnam War Commemoration Committee, where DeSales was named a top-performing commemorative\u00a0partner nationally, as well as U.S. Army recruiting organizations in the Lehigh Valley and Harrisburg regions and the Fleet Reserve Association Black Diamond Branch #115.<\/p>\n

Through comprehensive programming, certification support, and personalized advocacy, the Office of Veterans and Military Services continues to ensure that veterans and military-connected students at DeSales University have the resources they need to thrive academically and professionally.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

About DeSales University<\/h1>\n

Located in Center Valley, Pennsylvania, DeSales University is a Catholic liberal arts university founded by the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales. The University is committed to educating the whole person: mind, body, and spirit in the tradition of its patron saint. For more information, visit www.desales.edu<\/strong>.<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Information provided to TVL by:
\nThe Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber on behalf of DeSales University<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Center Valley, Pa. (June 2026) \u2014 The DeSales University Office of Veterans and Military\u00a0Services has been named the recipient of the prestigious Distinguished Patriot\u2019s Award by the Lehigh Valley Military Affairs Council (LVMAC). The award was presented during the annual Salute to the Troops Dinner held May 8, 2026, on the DeSales University campus. Wendy … Continue reading DeSales University Office of Veterans and Military Services Receives Distinguished Patriot\u2019s Award<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":150042,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\r\n\r\n{excerpt}\r\n\r\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[69,482],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-150041","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-in-the-valley","category-press-release-2"],"acf":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/desales-U.jpg?fit=672%2C372&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150041","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=150041"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150041\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":150045,"href":"https:\/\/thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150041\/revisions\/150045"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/150042"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=150041"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=150041"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=150041"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}