U.S. Army Staff Sgt. (Ret.) Travis Mills and his wife Kelsey Mills recently were honored by the Maine Association of Police. From left are Paul Gasper, executive director, Maine Police Association; Shane Stephenson of the South Portland Police Department and second vice president of the Maine Association of Police; Travis Mills, Kevin Riordan, president of the Maine Association of Police; and Nancy Troubh, widow of William Troubh, after which an award is named that Mills received. Travis Mills Foundation photo

ROME — The Maine Association of Police recently bestowed three honors to U.S. Army Staff Sgt. (Ret.) Travis Mills and his wife, Kelsey Mills.

The couple opened the Travis Mills Foundation Veterans Retreat in 2017 after Travis lost portions of all of his limbs in a 2012 IED explosion while serving this country in Afghanistan. Since then, thousands of recalibrated veterans and their families have learned to live life off the sidelines through adaptive sports, spending quality time together and meeting other veteran families, according to a news release from Molly Lovell-Keely at the foundation.

Presenting the awards were Kevin Riordan, association president; Shane Stephenson, second vice president; Paul Gaspar, executive director; and Nancy Troubh, widow of William “Bill” Troubh, of whom one of the association’s top awards is in honor and memory.

The William B. Troubh Leadership Awardee is selected by a joint committee of the Maine Association of Police, Maine Association of Police retirees and Troubh, Heisler, P.A. They select an individual (civilian or police officer) who demonstrates extraordinary leadership abilities in their profession, community or the field of law enforcement.

“This award isn’t given every year,” said Riordan, president of the Maine Association of Police, addressing SSG Mills in the living room of the Travis Mills Foundation Veterans Retreat.

“All off what I know of you led you to this place,” Troubh said to Mills. “Your compassion, your gratitude — that hit me. Your joy in life, your love of family, your resilience, your toughness — it took all of that to the person you are standing here today.”

“Billy would be incredibly honored that an award was given to you in his name,” she added.

Troubh and her husband were married for 47 years, giving back to the greater Portland community in which they lived. In addition to being a founding partner of Portland law firm Troubh Heisler, he was a public servant who led with honesty and integrity. He served multiple terms as a city councilors and mayor of Portland. He was also instrumental in the development of the Portland waterfront, Portland Sea Dogs, Cumberland County Civic Center and Portland Ice Arena.

Riordan, Troubh and others toured the retreat in the Belgrade Lakes Region of Maine to learn more about how the Foundation serves recalibrated veterans, their families and law enforcement through various programming.

The association also made Travis an honorary, lifetime member and issued him a badge.

“I am beyond grateful to the Maine Association of Police — and not simply because of the incredible award in honor of Bill and the other amazing honors, which mean the world to me and Kelsey,” said Travis. “But for the difficult job our law enforcement have. Everyone I met today, or had the pleasure of meeting again, are top notch individuals whom the state is fortunate to have protecting us.”

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