Illinois National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Matthew P. Harris, of Petersburg, Illinois, was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal in a ceremony Jan. 30 at Camp Lincoln, Springfield, Illinois.
Harris, who enlisted in the Illinois Army National Guard in 2000, is a 42A, Human Resources Specialist at Joint Force Headquarters, and previously served in the Recruiting and Retention Battalion, (RBB).
He received the award for his leadership, dedication and initiatives to increase the RBB’s efficiency in recruiting, according to Lt. Col. Darren Horton, Commander, Recruiting and Retention Battalion, Illinois Army National Guard.
“In the recruiting field, Sgt. 1st Class Harris was a rock star,” Horton said. “He was a great team member and an awesome teammate. During his time at RBB, he developed many products to make recruiting in the field more efficient and better equipped.”