GEICO Names 6 Honorees As Military Service Award Recipients

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WASHINGTON, D.C., April 30, 2007 - Tonight GEICO will honor six members of the military with the GEICO Military Service Award for their generous acts of service to their communities and the public good.

We are so proud of tonight's honorees," said GEICO Chairman, Tony Nicely. "Every year we celebrate outstanding military personnel who are dedicated to protecting their fellow military members. This year is no exception and I want to congratulate the 2006 award recipients for their extremely hard work."

Recipients of the award are:

  • Army - Sgt. 1st Class Marion Benson is honored for his work alcohol and drug abuse prevention. He has personally trained over 2,000 soldiers by pointing out the negative effects alcohol and drug use can have on the individual and his or her unit at Fort Gordon, Ga.
  • Marines - Gunnery Sgt. Daniel P. Schismenos has made valuable contributions in the field of traffic safety and accident prevention. He is the accident investigations division chief, assigned to the Military Police Company, H & S Battalion, Camp Lejuene, N.C.
  • Navy - Senior Chief Petty Officer Ramil S. Valdez distinguished himself in fire safety and fire prevention. He is assigned as the safety officer for EODTEU One, San Diego, Ca.
  • Air Force - Senior Airman Brandon Hoosier is honored for his work in alcohol and drug abuse prevention. He is a member of the Forest Heath Crime Prevention Council, focusing on alcohol and drug abuse policing efforts at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England.
  • Coast Guard - Petty Officer Kevin Cronin is the Coast Guard recipient of the 2006 GEICO Military Service Award for his volunteer work in alcohol and drug abuse prevention. Petty Officer Cronin is the medical clinic supervisor for the U.S. Coast Guard Sector in St. Petersburg, Fla.
  • National Guard/Reserve - Master Sergeant Marshall Dellinger made his contributions in the field of fire safety and fire prevention. Master Sgt. Dellinger is a C-17A Loadmaster in the 728th Airlift Squadron (AS) at McChord Air Force Base in Lakewood, Wash.

GEICO established the Military Service Awards in 1988 to pay tribute to members of the military for their contributions to the public good in their roles as "citizens and soldiers." Each service branch makes nominations for the award in one of three categories: drug and alcohol abuse prevention, fire safety and fire prevention, and traffic safety and accident prevention. A selection committee of senior enlisted members chooses the award winners.

A complete set of guidelines for GEICO's Military Awards and background information about the honorees are located on the GEICO Web site, www.geico.com in the Information Center, under Military Program.

GEICO (Government Employees Insurance Company) is the fourth largest private passenger auto insurer in the United States. It provides auto insurance coverage for more than 7 million policyholders and insures more than 12 million vehicles. GEICO is a member of the Berkshire Hathaway group of companies. GEICO provides consumers with sales, service and claims capabilities on its geico.com website. For more information, go to www.geico.com.

For more information, please email communications@geico.com today.

GEICO (Government Employees Insurance Company) is a member of the Berkshire Hathaway family of companies and is the third-largest private passenger auto insurer in the United States.* GEICO handles auto insurance coverage for 11 million private passenger auto policies and insures more than 17.5 million vehicles.

In addition to auto insurance, GEICO offers customers insurance products for their motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), travel trailers and motor homes (RVs). Coverage for life, boats, homes and apartments is available through the GEICO Insurance Agency. Commercial auto insurance and personal umbrella protection are also available.

As a member of the Berkshire Hathaway group of companies, GEICO is rated A++ for financial strength by A.M. Best Company and ranks at the top of several national customer satisfaction surveys. For more information, go to http://www.geico.com.

*A.M. Best