New Mexico National Guardsman attends White House reception

New Mexico National Guard Sgt. Alfonso Deocampo was recently honored at the White House for helping rescue people during the recent floods in Roswell.

Deocampo, who is from Bosque Farms, attended first lady Jill Biden’s Dec. 2 presentation of holiday decorations, which is part of the White House’s Joining Forces initiative to support military families. National Guard families were the first to experience the décor and children joined the first lady on stage as she thanked their parents for serving their country, The Associated Press reported.

“It was a very extravagant experience,” Deocampo said in a phone interview. “I’ve never been to anything like that before.”

One of the objectives of Joining Forces, according to the Obama White House archives, is to “bring attention to the unique experiences and strengths of America’s service members, veterans, and their families.”

Facilitated by the National Guard Bureau, Deocampo and his family were flown to Washington, where they met the first lady, listened to her speech addressing soldier and military family issues, toured the White House and listened to a performance by the United States Marine Band, a New Mexico National Guard Facebook post states.

“It was more than what I expected it to be,” he said. “It was an honor to even be there to meet the first lady.”

Recognized for his “exceptional service” with the Community Emergency Response Team, Deocampo was a part of 193 water rescues during the Roswell floods, the post states.

Deocampo is a swift rescue technician whose job, he said, is “to be able to go into the water and pull people out.”

“Anytime we go through a flood, it’s kind of nerve-wracking,” he said. “You never know what you’re going to encounter.”