Posted: Dec 10, 2012

Holmes football creates the Bradly MacNealy Leadership Award

Dennis Robertson, center, is pictured with Holmes Head Football Coach Jeff Koonz and Colonel Bradly MacNealy. The football coaching staff created the Bradly MacNealy Leadership Award in MacNealy's honor and presented the award the award to Robertson at the football banquet on Wednesday night in Goodman.

Being connected to an institution and the happenings there is important to the institution but being connected in three or more different ways makes you that much more special to the institution.

Mississippi Army National Guard Colonel Bradly S. MacNealy not only attended Holmes Junior College from 1975–77, playing football and baseball but has also been instrumental in helping Holmes Community College provide educational opportunities for the state's military and provide proper recognition of the military personnel by advising the school during its first ever Armed Forces Appreciation Football Game in October. If that's not important enough, MacNealy also serves as a referee for the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges.

For his dedication and leadership, Holmes' football coaching staff has created the Bradly MacNealy Leadership Award. MacNealy currently serves as U.S. Property & Fiscal Officer for the Mississippi Army and Air National Guard with signature authority for an annual Congressional Appropriation in excess of $650M and provides federal oversight for more than 10B worth of federal equipment and facilities. This position is approved by the Governor of Mississippi and reports directly to the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, who is one of the seven members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

During his 33-year distinguished military career, MacNealy served four active duty tours with two tours in combat zones. He has been in the Army National Guard for 16 years while in private agri-business. He commanded the first National Guard Aviation Brigade (134 Aircraft, 3K soldiers) ever deployed in Combat, created and implemented "Catfish Air" as theater distribution system in Iraq (Google Catfish Air), led aviation efforts (68 helicopters) on Mississippi Gulf Coast in response to Hurricane Katrina and was the former Deputy Commander, 1st U.S. Army, (500K soldiers), working for General Russel Honore'.

He has 7,000 flight hours in an Airplane and Blackhawk helicopter pilot spending 200 hours in combat. He is Airborne Paratrooper and Air Assault qualified.

For his efforts, he has been awarded a Bronze Star, Air Medal, Meritorious Service, Mississippi Magnolia Cross and many others. He comes from a military family. His father is a U.S. Coach Guard World War II veteran, who served in the Pacific Theater. His son is a Staff Sergeant in Mississippi National Guard and has 100+ combat missions in Iraq.

The 2012 recipient of the Bradly MacNealy Leadership Award is sophomore quarterback Dennis Robertson of Gulfport. Robertson took the starting quarterback reigns the last few games of the 2011 season and led the Bulldogs this season to a 5-4 record overall and 4-2 in the North Division. He was recently named MACJC All State Honorable Mention.

MacNealy said the award is a humbling experience for him, and he is pleased to have this award named in his honor and accepts it on behalf of the nation's military.

"Leadership is an attitude," MacNealy said. "You need to have good leaders on the football field to be good. To have an award named after me is a lifetime honor. I couldn't believe it when they told me. I think it's great that Coach (Jeff) Koonz and his players show respect to the military.

"Honest to God, I was in shock," he said. "It's a tribute to the military. I appreciate the award being named after me or anybody who has served in the military."

As far as Robertson receiving it, MacNealy said he could think of no better first recipient. "He always has had a position attitude and has led by example," MacNealy said. "Even on the sideline, he was cheering his team on. If the team had adversity, he didn't change. If the team had success, he didn't change. His teammates looked up to him. One of the reasons Holmes has been so successful and has improved its program is because of Dennis Robertson. I'm glad that he's receiving this.

"People respect leaders," he added. "To be a leader, you have to have core values." Military core values consist of loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage."

"Dennis demonstrates all seven of those core values in the way he conducts himself," he added. "He was definitely the right guy for this award. Coach Koonz and his staff picked a great player that led this team the last two years."