Photo By Command Sgt. Maj. Anthony L Taylor | U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Josef Rodriguez, left, and Brig. Gen. Gracus K. Dunn, the...... read more read more
CHICAGO – On Saturday, May 25, during the Chicago Memorial Day parade, an Army Reserve soldier who also serves with the Chicago Police Department was honored as former Secretary of Defense and CIA director Leon Panetta and Mayor of Chicago Rahm Emanuel looked on from the reviewing stand.
Robert L. Garcia, a former lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, was awarded the Legion of Merit for exceptionally meritorious service in the positions of increasing responsibility, culminating a 30-year career as the civilian liaison team leader, with the 308th Civil Affairs Brigade in Homewood, Ill.
Participating in the award ceremony were Brig. Gen. Gracus K. Dunn, commanding general, 85th Support Command, the presiding officer and Staff Sgt. Josef Rodriguez, Garcia’s nephew, who served three combat tours, held his uncle’s medal set as Dunn pinned him.
Garcia started his military career in 1981 as an enlisted soldier and then accepted his commission in May 1983 when he graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago through the ROTC program.
He distinguished himself through exceptional and honorable service to his country for more than 30 years in positions of increased responsibility as both an enlisted soldier and commissioned officer.
Garcia’s deployments include Operation Desert Shield/Storm as a company commander, Bosnia- Herzegovina as a civil affairs international police task force liaison officer and Operation Iraqi Freedom 3 in support of the global war on terrorism.
After these deployments, Garcia was hand selected by the City of Chicago officials to assist in coordination with the United States Agency for International Development and Air Force operations by sending an ambulance donated by the city to a village in the heart of Baghdad, Iraq, providing lifesaving services to the Baghdad community.
Garcia has continued in his civil affairs capacity to lead several humanitarian missions to include: providing support to Department of State officials in the construction of the first international airport in Iraq; he planned and coordinated the first humanitarian Iraqi Air Force mission support; in Afghanistan during OEF he mentored Afghan government officials and National Police forces in rebuilding infrastructure; from here in Chicago he coordinated the delivery of an ambulance and fire truck to the country of Honduras, and again in the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake, he coordinated a delivery of a Chicago fire truck, ambulance and five tons of rice for the citizens of Haiti. That act alone established Haiti’s first public safety program.
Garcia also has a son, Army Spc. Nick Garcia, currently attending basic training at Fort Benning, Ga., who is in the process for selection to the U.S. Special Forces.
| Date Taken: | 05.25.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 06.04.2013 00:06 |
| Story ID: | 108012 |
| Location: | CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, US |
| Web Views: | 560 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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