Joe Strehl, son of St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and Drug Enforcement Agency, Det. Stephen Strehl, EOW 11/19/93, has devoted his life to serving our community and country. Last December Joe was sent to a nine-month long overseas deployment to the Middle East in support of Operation Inherent Resolve as a Paralegal NCOIC for the 11th Combat Aviation Brigade. As of today, he is a Staff Sergeant/E-6 with the National Security Law Paralegal for the 412th Theater Engineer Command. Joe came home this September and continued his service as an Officer with the St. Louis County Police Department.
Joe describes what his time was like serving in the Middle East and how he took on being in a leadership role, “I spent most of my time in Kuwait where our Brigade was based. I was fortunate enough to travel to Iraq twice and really enjoyed my time there. I worked with great soldiers and amazing officers. I had the opportunity to lead four paralegals, which was a challenge at first because I had never led or supervised anyone before. It turned out to be extremely rewarding.”
Developing leadership skills was not the only thing Joe acquired during his time. He also experienced challenges and surrounded himself with positive influences. “I was lucky enough to compete in two foreign ruck marches, which really put my physical and mental strength to the test. I worked with three motivated attorneys who made me want to be a better person. They encouraged me daily to be the best I could be in all aspects of my life professionally and personally.”
After nearly a year away, Joe came home in September, bringing with him a sense of gratitude and eagerness to take part in what he had to sacrifice while away. “I’m very happy that everyone from my team returned home to their families. I couldn’t wait to see my family and friends when I returned. I had missed out on almost a year of big life events and memories. I wanted to spend as much time with everyone I could.”
Being back home means continuing his service as an officer and beginning a new endeavor. “I am very excited to get back on the streets and return to police work. I also just enrolled in grad school through Missouri State University. I am really looking forward to restarting my higher education aspirations in January 2023!”
Along with everything else, Joe also dedicates his time to BackStoppers by serving as President of the BackStoppers Development Board and as a member of the First Responder Membership Campaign committee. He emphasizes the importance of this campaign and why he is particularly invested, “Now is an excellent time for first responders to step up and take ownership in this organization that give back to our community without asking for anything in return. While this campaign is completely voluntary and non-obligatory, it is our duty to help our fellow brothers’ and sisters’ families in their time of need after a tragedy. For me, being a BackStopper gave me peace of mind before every shift. Knowing that my family will be supported if anything were to happen to me really sets me at ease.”
We are incredibly grateful to Joe for his service to our country, community and to our mission. It is an absolute thrill to witness his life unfold and cheer on his many accomplishments. We look forward to seeing what the future holds for him.