Brig. Gen. Richard J. Hayes of Buffalo Grove, director of the Joint Staff of the Illinois National Guard, has been awarded the Legion of Merit, the U.S. military’s sixth highest award.
Brig. Gen. Daniel Krumrei, the Adjutant General of the Illinois National Guard, presented Hayes with the Legion of Merit June 1 at Camp Lincoln in Springfield.
The award is for exceptionally meritorious service as the commander of the 129th Regional Training Institute in Springfield from Feb. 1, 2010 to July 31, 2013.
Through Hayes' leadership and clear guidance, the 129th has emerged and distinguished itself as one of the premier training platforms in the National Guard, stated the award citation.
Hayes was commissioned in 1987 from the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at the University of Kansas and joined the Illinois National Guard in 1989. Since 1989 he has served in various positions within the field artillery, infantry and joint force headquarters.
As the Director of the Joint Staff, Hayes is responsible for developing and coordinating all policies, programs, and plans in joint matters that affect Illinois' 13,000 Army and Air National Guard personnel. He is responsible for the integration and coordination of National Guard capabilities in support of Homeland Defense and Defense Support to Civil Authorities (DSCA) operations to include the operational control of 3,000 dedicated Army and Air personnel in DSCA.
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