Texas Game Wardens Honor Bravery, Selflessness In The Line Of Duty

The Texas Game Wardens honored several personnel for their bravery and selflessness in the line of duty.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, which oversees the agency, held an awards ceremony in Austin to honor wardens’ service, the agency announced in a press release.

Officials presented multiple wardens with the Director’s Medal of Valor, the Director’s Medal of Merit, and the Director’s Citation for their work responding to the deadly July floods in Central Texas. They also presented the Director’s Life-Saving Award to nine wardens and one mechanic and recognized multiple promotions.

Director’s Medal of Valor

The Director’s Medal of Valor is the highest honor the TPWD can bestow, according to the release. 

“This prestigious award recognizes employees who distinguish themselves through acts of extraordinary courage and selflessness in the face of life-threatening danger,” the release reads. “Recipients have demonstrated voluntary acts of bravery or self-sacrifice so exceptionally that they clearly set themselves apart.”

• Sgt. Brent Biggs – Texas Game Warden, Aviation. He served as the tactical flight officer aboard a helicopter in treacherous, life-threatening conditions, with Pilot Lt. Robert Mitchell and Helicopter Rescue Tech. Game Warden Jacob Crumpton, he helped rescue people from the raging Guadalupe River. From Kerrville, Biggs helped with evacuation and recovery efforts over the next days, including in the flood-stricken Camp Mystic.

• Mitchell – Rescue Pilot. He flew through dangerous conditions, showing “exceptional skill and composure” during search and rescue operations along the Guadalupe. He helped rescue several victims in the early hours of the floods, including at Camp Mystic. 

• Crumpton – Concho County Game Warden, Search and Rescue. Helicopter Rescue Technician. Risking his own life and safety, he was lowered into fast-moving floodwaters to save victims. “His courage and commitment to the safety of others was instrumental in saving multiple lives.” Crumpton continued to serve after the initial threat, helping evacuation and recovery.

• John Compton – Menard County Game Warden, Search and Rescue. He launched a rescue boat into the debris-filled Guadalupe with other wardens, pulling victims from trees and helping helicopter extractions. Compton continued to assist through the following days. 

• Ray Milloway – Lampasas County Game Warden, Search and Rescue. He also risked his life, launching rescue boats into the Guadalupe to save trapped flood victims. “He directly participated in extracting victims from life-threatening situations.” Milloway worked “tirelessly” during the early hours and continued to assist.

• Michael Serbanic – McLennan County Game Warden, Search and Rescue. He assisted boat operations on the Guadalupe, rescuing victims from trees and assisting with helicopter rescues. “His determined response, despite the dangerous conditions, contributed directly to the survival of multiple individuals.” Serbanic continued to help rescue efforts in Kerr County and beyond.

• Richard Whitt – Mills County Game Warden, Search and Rescue. He also helped with boat rescues on the Guadalupe. “Whitt’s determination to protect others was obvious as he and his team worked countless hours.”

Director’s Medal of Merit

The Director’s Medal of Merit is for employees who have shown “exceptional service beyond the normal course of duty,” according to the release. This recognizes actions beyond normal expectations or requirements.

• Asst. Cmdr. Brandon Rose – Texas Game Warden, Aviation. He showed “exemplary service and skill” as the pilot of a helicopter that brought personnel and supplies to Camp Mystic, evacuated victims, and supported ground operations. 

• Lt. Tyler Stoikes – Texas Game Warden, Aviation. He was aboard the same helicopter, offering “technical skill and steady presence under pressure” to help ensure operations went smoothly.

• Sgt. Doug White – Texas Game Warden, Aviation. Tactical Flight Officer. He also helped rescue efforts aboard the helicopter, providing support during supply and personnel deliveries to Camp Mystic.

• Dustyn Jansky – Guadalupe County Game Warden, Unmanned Aircraft and Rural Operations. A helicopter dropped him into Camp Mystic, where he helped direct communications, evacuations, and landings in extreme conditions. He played a “critical role” in coordinating emergency response.

• Cooper Wolken – Maverick County Game Warden, Rural Operations. A helicopter also dropped him into the camp, where he helped coordinate communications, evacuations, and landings. He continued to help in the days ahead.

Director’s Citation

The Director’s Citation honors personnel whose dedication, judgment, and perseverance have brought distinguished service, according to the release. 

• Dustin Barrett – Kerr County Game Warden. He was “invaluable in rescue and recovery operations” through the entire flood response, offering his knowledge of the county to establish the Incident Command Post and guide local operations. He worked alongside Game Warden Emily Slubar to coordinate resources, reduce delays, and improve communication.

• Slubar – Guadalupe County Game Warden. She established an incident command post and directed resources to critical rescue areas, coordinating with state agencies like the Texas Department of Public Safety.

• Ryan Cobb – Kenedy County Game Warden, Unmanned Aircraft. He quickly deployed a live digital map to track search-and-rescue efforts, enhancing the safety and efficiency of emergency operations and enabling analysis afterward.

• Dennis Gazaway – Uvalde County Game Warden. He applied his training to coordinate personnel, equipment, and resources, establishing protocols that laid the groundwork for the mission. He also coordinated with the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office. 

• Maj. Luis Sosa – Senior Staff. He supervised the incident command, directing the response plan and ensuring effective communication. He showed “steadfast leadership, professionalism and commitment.”

Director’s Life Saving Award

This award goes to employees who directly helped save a human life through exceptional action, courage, and judgment, according to the release. 

• Curtis Brock, Conner Sumbera – Houston County Game Wardens. The wardens responded to a distress call from three stranded hunters in the Big Slough Wilderness Area in the Davy Crockett National Forest early on February 17. They found one hunter with hypothermia and hiked another mile to reach the other two. One was safe, but the other was stuck across a flooded creek. Sumbera swam through the water to reach him, and they successfully saved the hunters.

• Serbanic, Michael Ferguson – Falls County Game Warden. Ferguson and Serbanic rescued a man trapped in an underwater vehicle during severe flooding in Riesel on May 6. They entered chest-deep water, broke a window, and saved the victim before the vehicle was swept away.

• Orion Macias – Nueces County Game Warden, Cory Schlapia – Boat Mechanic, Sgt. Michael Gonzalez, Sgt. Travis Haug. The men were on a game warden patrol vessel for the opening of snapper season, 40 miles off the coast, when they responded to a life-threatening emergency on a nearby vessel. They saved the patient and coordinated a Coast Guard helicopter rescue. 

• Joseph Sellers – Tarrant County Game Warden. He was patrolling Eagle Mountain Lake on August 3 when he learned a boater had fallen between a dock and a boat and was struggling to stay afloat. He jumped in the water and helped bring the man back to the dock.

• Keegan Moore – Runnels County Game Warden. While traveling through Coleman County, he saw a major accident between a vehicle and construction equipment. He saw the driver, with a major arm wound, and stopped the bleeding. A paramedic confirmed that this saved the driver’s life.

Also during the ceremony, the Texas Game Wardens announced the Prosecutor of the Year – the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, according to the press release.

The agency called the office a “steadfast partner” under the leadership of District Attorney Brett Ligion, First Assistant District Attorney Mike Holley, and Chief Prosecutor Michael Ghutzman. Officials applauded the prosecutor’s office for pursuing wildlife crime charges and for consistent training and collaboration.

The prosecutor’s office specifically initiated charges in the “Ghost Deer Investigation,” a statewide case that has secured 62 convictions for deer breeding and drug trafficking. 

The Texas Game Wardens have been proactive in the Dallas-Fort Worth area this summer, investigating several drownings on Lake Lewisville, as The Dallas Express reported. The agency also helped investigate an incident on Lake Grapevine, where an illegal alien from Venezuela struck and killed a young woman with a jet ski.