Illinois National Guard Soldier awarded Ordnance Order of Samuel Sharpe

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CAMP BUEHRING, KUWAIT (07/02/2018) (readMedia)-- Illinois Army National Guard Chief Warrant Officer 3 Gregory Eble of Kewanee, Illinois, was awarded the Ordnance Order of Samuel Sharpe July 2, during a ceremony at Camp Buehring, Kuwait.

The Ordnance Order of Samuel Sharpe recognizes individuals who have demonstrated integrity, moral character, and professional competence while serving in the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps and whose selfless contributions to the Corps stand out in the eyes of their seniors, peers, and subordinates.

This prestigious award was named for Samuel Sharpe, who was appointed as Master Gunner of Ordnance in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1629. For the next 400 years, the Ordnance Corps served a pivotal role in the American Army – building weapons for the Union Army in the Civil War, establishing forward maintenance as a key tenet during World War I, and organizing the first bomb disposal units in World War II. Through Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, up to its operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the men and women of the Ordnance Branch maintain its dedication to the spirit of "Support To The Line, On The Line, On Time!"

Eble, a 26-year veteran of the Illinois Army National Guard, served during the Great Flood of 1993 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Eble deployed to Afghanistan in 2008-2009 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and again in 2017-2018 to Kuwait in support of Operation Spartan Shield. He has been a federal technician for the Illinois National Guard for more than 22 years.

Photo Cutline 1: 1st Lieutenant John Tracy, Commander of the 3637th Support Maintenance Company, awards Illinois Army National Guard Chief Warrant Officer 3 Gregory Eble of Kewanee, Illinois, the Ordnance Order of Samuel Sharpe July 2, during a ceremony at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. (Courtesy photo submitted by 1st Lieutenant John Tracy, Commander of the 3637th Support Maintenance Company)

Photo Cutline 2: Illinois Army National Guard Chief Warrant Officer 3 Gregory Eble of Kewanee, Illinois, receives a round of applause from his unit after receiving the Ordnance Order of Samuel Sharpe July 2, during a ceremony at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. (Courtesy photo submitted by 1st Lieutenant John Tracy, Commander of the 3637th Support Maintenance Company)