A ceremony held at the Onset VFW on Saturday, June 8 honored Colonel Paul A. Barnett for his dedicated service to the classroom, the community and the country.

Barnett has decades of military service starting in 1989, including combat tours in 1991 during Operation Desert Storm and in 2009 to Baghdad.

Currently, he holds the rank of Senior State Chaplain for the Massachusetts Army National Guard.

In that role, Barnett is responsible for equipping all chaplaincy personnel in the national guard in providing for the free exercise of religion, and oversees the spiritual and emotional wellness of the service members, civilian employees and family members of the national guard.

In addition to his service in uniform, Barnett has served in many clergy roles, including as a youth pastor for Conquerors for Christ Ministries, co-pastor for Community Baptist Church and with his current church, Onset Foursquare Church. He is currently a mathematics teacher in Wareham.

Select Board Chair Judith Whiteside said, “It was a sold out program and it just was a room full of love and respect from everyone there to Mr. Barnett. It was an awesome occasion.”