June 28, 2004
CONTACT: SID GAULDEN, 803-896-8409
COLUMBIA – The South Carolina Department of Public Safety named Lance Corporal B.L. McDougald the South Carolina Highway Patrol Troop 4 Trooper of the Year at a June 23 ceremony.
L/Cpl. McDougald is currently stationed in Troop 4 Headquarters. He began his career with the Highway Patrol in 1989 in Sumter County. He was transferred to Lancaster County in 1991, Chester County in 1995 and to Troop 4 Headquarters in 2000 as the Community Relations Officer. He served in the U.S. Army from 1986 to 1988 stationed in Anchorage, Alaska.
“L/Cpl. McDougald is passionate about saving lives and dedicated to his responsibilities as a CRO, especially when working with area youth,” said Col. Russell Roark, Highway Patrol commander. “As CRO, L/Cpl. McDougald has done an outstanding job educating the public and media about highway safety issues.”
L/Cpl. McDougald remains consistent in gathering information and disseminating it to the media. He has established an open line of communication in his media market that has proved invaluable. He has created the Adopt-A-School program. The concept of the program is to have a trooper attend every driver’s education class in that high school and connect with the youngest driver on our roads to establish a positive relationship. This concept has expanded to other troops in the state. He is active in community programs such as Buck-a-Cup, Christmas Shoe Box and Operation Crayon. Last year, he helped organize the first annual South Carolina Troopers’ Survivor Seminar in Myrtle Beach. This program is designed to offer the families of slain troopers professional help and a lasting connection to the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
McDougald is a Chester native. He is a Chester High School graduate and attended USC Lancaster. He and his wife, Barbara, have two children, Morgan, 12, and Madison, 7. They reside in Richburg and attend Chester Second Baptist Church. McDougald is also a member of the South Carolina Highway Patrol PEER team, which helps troopers involved in critical incidents, and serves as vice president of the South Carolina Trooper’s Association.
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