State Director of Public Health Receives Prestigious Award for National Guard Service

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Retired Col. Damon Arnold of Chicago, the director of the Illinois Department of Public Health is pinned with the Legion of Merit by Maj. Gen. William Enyart of Belleville

CHICAGO, IL (05/04/2011)(readMedia)-- Retired Col. Damon Arnold of Chicago, the director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, received one of the U.S. military's most prestigious awards for his nearly 25 years of service with the Illinois Army National Guard.

Maj. Gen. William L. Enyart of Belleville, the Adjutant General of the Illinois National Guard, presented Arnold with the Legion of Merit during a ceremony at the Illinois National Guard's Retiree Dinner on April 29 at the Chicago Hilton.

The Legion of Merit is the U.S. military's sixth highest award. A few other notable Legion of Merit recipients include current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Adm. Michael Mullen, U.S. Sen. John McCain, British Gen. Bernard Montgomery, French Gen. Charles De Gaulle, and Polish officers Col. Stanislaw Wozniak, Gen. Franciszek Gagor, and Lt. Gen. Wladyslaw Anders.

The Legion of Merit is awarded to any member of the Armed Forces of the United States or a friendly foreign nation who has distinguished himself or herself by exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements.

Arnold served as a medical officer retiring as the Illinois Army National Guard surgeon general. He deployed overseas more than 15 times on missions to South America, Africa, Europe and Iraq.

photo 1) Retired Col. Damon Arnold of Chicago, the director of the Illinois Department of Public Health is pinned with the Legion of Merit by Maj. Gen. William Enyart of Belleville the Adjutant General of the Illinois National Guard during a ceremony at the Illinois National Guard's Retiree Dinner on April 29 at the Chicago Hilton.

photo 2) Retired Col. Damon Arnold of Chicago, the director of the Illinois Department of Public Health is presented with the Legion of Merit by Maj. Gen. William Enyart of Belleville the Adjutant General of the Illinois National Guard during a ceremony at the Illinois National Guard's Retiree Dinner on April 29 at the Chicago Hilton.

photo 3) Retired Col. Damon Arnold of Chicago, the director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, received one of the military's most prestigious awards for his nearly 25 years of service with the Illinois Army National Guard.