Police Department Honors Members With Military Service
Rapid City Police Department recognized officers with military backgrounds on Veterans Day, noting that more than one in three members have prior service.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Military Jobs
The Rapid City Police Department recognized members with military service on Veterans Day. More than one in three department members have prior military service.
Why it matters
The recognition highlights how the department supports officers who serve in the National Guard or reserves. Its policies on leave, deployment contact and reinstatement affect those members and the department's staffing in Rapid City.
More than one in three Rapid City Police Department members have prior military service, according to the department. The extraction does not provide a total headcount or a comparison with other departments.
The players
Rapid City Police Department
The municipal police agency serving Rapid City, South Dakota, responsible for local law enforcement and public safety.
Sgt. Chris Hunt
A Rapid City police sergeant who joined the department in 2010 after serving in the South Dakota Army National Guard from 2003 to 2024, including deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay.
The details
Sgt. Chris Hunt joined the department in 2010 and served in the South Dakota Army National Guard from 2003 to 2024, with deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, two of which occurred while he was employed by the department. Officers in the Guard or reserves receive two weeks of paid leave for annual training, and the department keeps in touch with deployed officers and sends them care packages. Returning officers receive retraining and keep their seniority and benefits.
Timeline
2003: Sgt. Chris Hunt begins service in the South Dakota Army National Guard.
2010: Sgt. Chris Hunt joins the Rapid City Police Department.
2024: Sgt. Chris Hunt's National Guard service ends.
Nov. 11, 2026: The department recognizes members with military service on Veterans Day.
Military Jobs Context
Federal reemployment protections under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act require employers to restore returning service members with their seniority and benefits. The department's practices of paid training leave and retraining for returning officers go beyond these baseline requirements in a stated, non-legal manner.
Officers in the National Guard or reserves in Rapid City can receive two weeks of paid leave for annual training. Returning officers keep their seniority and benefits, which affects job security for those considering military or public-safety careers.
The takeaway
Employers that support service members through paid training leave and reinstatement can make military-linked careers more practical for residents of Rapid City. Readers considering public safety work can ask about similar leave and benefit policies.
Further reading
Explore more on Military Jobs for careers that combine public service with military experience.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Kotatv.
