When John Fiore was asked late last year to attend a ceremony to mark the promotion of Lt. Col. Ben Stoner of the N.J. National Guard, a career serviceman and the husband of his wife’s niece, he was happy to accept. What Fiore didn’t expect was that, in addition to pinning epaulets on his relative, he himself would be presented with citations from both the National Guard and Gov. Phil Murphy.

As the latter read, “The Governor of the State of New Jersey, Phillip D.