HR0745 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0745 LRB097 17801 GRL 63017 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to honor Colonel Damon T. Arnold for his service to our nation and for his ongoing commitment to improving the health of the people of the United States; and

WHEREAS, Colonel Damon Arnold obtained his undergraduate degree from Howard University in Washington, D.C. and his M.D. and M.P.H. Degrees from the University of Illinois in Chicago; he completed his residency in internal medicine at Cook County Hospital, followed by a residency in occupational medicine; he also completed formal training in holistic medicine for therapeutic massage therapy and acupuncture; and

WHEREAS, Colonel Damon Arnold serves as the Director of the Public Health Graduate Program at Chicago State University; he also serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Illinois College of Medicine and the School of Public Health; and

WHEREAS, Colonel Damon Arnold was appointed as the 16th Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health on October 1, 2007; during his tenure as Director, he brought millions of dollars to the State of Illinois and was very active on the local, state, and federal levels; and

WHEREAS, For 26 years, Colonel Damon Arnold served in the Army National Guard as the Commander of the Joint Medical Command and State Surgeon General for 26 years; he completed 17 overseas missions in locations such as Africa, Central America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia; he functioned as a mechanized infantry Combat Medic as well as a qualified Flight Surgeon on over 80 field operations in Iraq and Kuwait; and

WHEREAS, Colonel Damon Arnold was awarded the Military Legion of Merit Medal from President Barack Obama for his achievements; he was also awarded 3 Army Commendation Medals for his war-time deployments to Iraq and Kuwait, where he served as the Officer in Charge of battlefield medical operations; he was also the recipient of 2 National Defense Service Medals and numerous battlefield awards; and

WHEREAS, Colonel Damon Arnold serves as a member of the Harvard University L.A.M.P.S. Committee, the Institute of Medicine in Washington, D.C., the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, and many federal-based organizations; he has published many articles and contributed to numerous publications over the years; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we honor Colonel Damon T. Arnold for his service to our nation and for his ongoing commitment to improving the health of the people of the United States and wish him continued success and happiness in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Colonel Damon Arnold as a symbol of our esteem and respect.