Oaks Fire Company Welcomes Back Local Hero

In what her father, Collegeville Police Sgt. Bruce Penuel called “a good Christmas present,” Spc. Kimberly A. Penuel returned home to Collegeville after her near yearlong deployment to Afghanistan.

Much to Penuel’s surprise—she thought her family was taking her to lunch at Champps—she received “A Hero’s Welcome” at the Providence Town Center in Upper Providence. Riders from Warriors’ Watch and members of the fire companies, EMS and police departments from municipalities that included Collegeville, Trappe, Perkiomen and Oaks cheered for and embraced Penuel as she exited the car. She and her family then had a motorcade escort down Route 29 and Main Street in Collegeville to the firehouse.

Penuel has been in the U.S. since Dec. 10., where she serves with the 977th Military Police Company in Fort Riley, KS, according to an email from Sgt. Penuel.

“The company was in a support role with the Joint Special Operations Command. Kim served at Bagram Air Base and Forward Operating Base (FOB) Salerno in Khost Province,” the email states.

Penuel thanked everyone who came out to show their appreciation and welcome her home.

“It’s such an honor to be able to recognize our servicemen and women, especially at this time of year,” Robert Schaffer, a Warriors’ Watch rider and Lansdale resident, said. “It’s extra special with the cooperation of the police and firefighters. It’s the best way to spend a lunch hour."

“It’s really good to have her home. She’s home for the holiday, which she wasn’t last year,” Penuel’s grandmother Sue Parker said, adding the foreign assignment can be worrying. “Anything can happen."

In addition to looking forward to spending time with her family and friends, whom she missed while she was overseas, Penuel got to see her young pen pal, 6-year-old Bailey Rommel.

Bailey connected with Penuel, thanks to the efforts of local business owner Nina Owens, whose own son served in the military.

Owens said children who write to service members are “so excited” to get a reply, and she gotten “thank yous from the military men and women."

Owens has known the Penuel family for years, and remarked on what a wonderful young woman Kimberly is.

“Her parents did a great job, too,” Owens said.

Sgt. Penuel said that after working with Warriors’ Watch, it was meaningful to have the members honor his own daughter. He was also pleased by the outpouring from the fire companies and police officers as well as the community.