Some U.S. Virgin Islanders with the right stuff got their due this week as the V.I. National Guard commended soldiers who fought a refinery fire in Puerto Rico last year, and promoted and awarded several up-and-coming Guard soldiers.

Last October, several V.I. Guard units responded when a refinery fire endangered residential communities in Catano. When Puerto Rico Gov. Luis Fortuno conducted an awards ceremony for Puerto Rico responders last November, he also thanked the V.I. components for their help.

At the V. I. National Guard’s Spratt Hall Facility on St. Croix Wednesday, Col. Elton Lewis and the unit’s commander, Maj. Kenneth Alleyne, commended the 23rd Weapons of Mass Destruction-Civil Support Team, for their work on the massive blaze. The 22-member team was fully certified by the U.S. Secretary of Defense last June, a few months before the fire.

“Once we got the order from (Gov. John deJongh Jr.), our leadership leaped into action, resourced the team, ensured we understood the mission and we deployed in two hours," said Maj. Kenneth Alleyne, commander of one of the units.

Several of the unit’s members were promoted at the ceremony: Sgt. 1st. Class Gino Williams, Sgt. 1st. Class Anibal Bermudez, Sgt. Kandiss McFarlane and Spc. Jason Young.

Awards were given to the flight crew of the V.I. National Guard’s D Company, Army Aviation Detachment, who braved the volatile conditions and deployed the civil support team.

Spc. Tamesha Lambert and Pfc. Melanie Romain of the 651st GS Maintenance Company were awarded for outstanding academic performance at their Advanced Individual Training, after basic training, at Fort Lee, Virginia. Romain scored 100 percent, a rare occurrence.

"Romain’s instructor said only 13 cadets have scored a perfect score in the last 30 years," said 1st Sgt. Mona Barnes. Born on St. Croix, Romain graduated from St. Croix Central in 2009, where she was in JROTC. She also attended St. Croix Educational Complex Vocational School and graduated as a Certified Nursing Assistant. She is an automated logistical specialist in the 651st Maintenance Company.

"When we award soldiers, it is a real distinction — they have accomplished something many who have never served could never accomplish. They have walked the walk." said Command Sgt. Maj. Barry Fredericks. "We have a lot of craziness going on in the Virgin Islands but we still have a lot of positive going on too. Today is nothing but positive."

Fredericks saluted the soldiers and gave a loud Army cry of "hooah," getting an even louder chorus back from the gathered soldiers.