On a recent trip back to Washington from an assignment at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, Lt. Col. Adam Torem was passing through Sea-Tac Airport wearing his military uniform.

He immediately felt the love of the region for servicemembers.

"I still had the TSA guys shaking my hand and telling me thanks for my service," Torem said. "You always feel good (when that happens)."

And that feeling of love and admiration is echoed in the local community.

It was on display Wednesday in downtown Tacoma as Torem was presented the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber's 2010 Howard O. Scott Citizen-Soldier of the Year Award.

Each year, the Citizen-Soldier Award memorializes Howard Scott, who grew up in Tacoma and served the nation when called upon during World War II. He returned to succeed as a banker in Tacoma, giving of his time to community service organizations, believing and enjoying this in his belief that doing so is one's responsibility.

"It's kind of exciting to know the community is behind folks and wants to recognize National Guard and reserve commitments," the 42-year-old University Place resident said.

And the community has good reason to appreciate the airman. Torem serves as a reserve individual mobilization augementee who works in the legal office with the 11th Air Force, an active duty unit at Elmendorf AFB. His civilian job is working in the state's Utilities and Transportation Commission office in Olympia.

But the southern California native's true dedication lies in his commitment to the community. Torem played a key role in re-drafting legislation that amended the Washington State version of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, ensuring that all residents that are called to active duty receive the same benefits. He provided support to state legislation designed to protect the parental rights of Washington residents who are deployed, helping to maintain custody or visitation rights with servicemembers' children.

He's also a volunteer for the Housing Justice Project, donating one day a month providing free legal advice to citizens with problems with their housing situation.

"It gives me a chance to use my legal skills as a judge," said Torem, who finished up his active duty career at McChord Field. "Working with the utilities commission I don't get to see clients. I just like that you get to listen to somebody that can't afford a lawyer, and maybe you can stand up before the judge and extend the time that they're going to be in their house or work something out with their landlord because they don't feel empowered to talk and your skills work out that way."

Providing those valuable community services pro bono really endeared Torem to the selection committee, said Gary Brackett, manager of Business and Trade Development with the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber.

"He demonstrated long-term involvement in the community in a variety of different things," Brackett said. "He's willing to devote or give his professional skills pro bono. A lot of us are willing to do lots of things, but not a lot of us have professional skills to give. For those that do, that's a really generous contribution."

Any bit of free time Torem does have is spent with his twin 10-year-old boys. And he finds ways to fit volunteerism into that time, too. Torem recently coached a team of nine- and 10-year-old students, leading them in the "FIRST" Lego League Challenge for budding engineers. FIRST stands for "For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology." The competition involved incorporating a programmable "brick" into a Lego robot designed by the kids, and Torem's team took third place in the competition.

"The Lego thing was something (the twins) got interested in and I coached them through it last year," he said. "We're going to do it again in the fall."