3/27/23

A member of the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office received a special distinction over the weekend.

In a social media post, Sheriff Donald Smith announced deputy Joe Gale received the Public Service Award Citation from Harrisonburg’s V-F-W Post 10-826.

Smith said Gale is both a patrolman and a member of the SWAT division. He was honorably discharged from the Marines in 2016, and has served as an Augusta County deputy since 2019.

The sheriff praised Gale for his physical fitness and protective personality.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars organization says it takes pride in presenting these awards to “worthy” individuals.