The Rochester Police Department will be a Blue Star family for the next year as it honors Officer Matthew Gorman while he is deployed to Afghanistan.

Gorman will participate in security details and train military police officers in the Afghanistan army for 12-18 months.

While also being a member of the U.S. Army Reserves, he has served three years at the Rochester Police Department.

“We’re very proud of him and the service that he does, and we’re very fortunate to have him as part of our military,” Rochester Police Chief Steve Schettenhelm said.

A Blue Star flag will hang in the department honoring Gorman during his deployment, Schettenhelm told city leaders during a Rochester City Council meeting this week.

“We’re a big family here so I get a lot of support,” said Gorman, 26, who is married. He was deployed to Iraq in 2005. 

“The weather’s going to be much better; it was 156 degrees in Iraq and now it’s only going to be 120 degrees,” Gorman said.

A part-time officer will fill in during Gorman's absence, but his spot in the Rochester Police Department awaits him upon his return.