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SERGEANT MAJOR DAVID MERRITT
SGM David Merritt of East Peoria, IL enlisted in the United States Army in August of 1992. He completed basic training at Fort Jackson, SC and advanced individual training at Fort Lee, VA. He served as a 77F, Petroleum Supply Specialist, with HHC, 1/227TH AVN at Fort Hood, Texas from 1993 to 1995, and HHC 29TH Signal Battalion at Fort Lewis, WA from 1995-1997. SGM Merritt enlisted into the Illinois Army National Guard in 1997, where he once again worked as a 77F in the 1-106TH Aviation Regiment, Peoria, IL. He served as a traditional National Guardsman for 2 ½ years before entering the Active Guard Reserve program in March 2000. Upon entering the AGR program, SGM Merritt attended advanced individual training to become a 92Y, Supply Specialist at Fort Lee, VA and then again attended advanced individual training to become a 15P, Flight Operations Specialist at the Western Army Aviation Training Site, Marana, AZ. Since then, he has served as a Squad Leader, Supply NCO, Readiness NCO, Platoon Sergeant, First Sergeant, and Operations Sergeant Major at the battalion, brigade, and state level headquarters.
SGM Merritt’s last assignment upon retirement was the G3 Operations Sergeant Major for the Illinois Army National Guard, Springfield, IL. Immediately prior to that assignment he served as the operations sergeant major for the 65TH Troop Command, in Peoria, IL.
SGM Merritt participated in rotational training exercises at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, CA, The Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, LA, and The Joint Maneuver Training Center, Fort Chaffee, AR. SGM Merritt deployed with Company F, 106TH AVN in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from March 2003 to June 2004 in Balad, Iraq. He also worked with Polish Territory Defense Forces in Warsaw and Rzeszow, Poland in support of the State Partnership Program.
His military education includes the Primary Leader’s Development Course, Basic Noncommissioned Officer’s Course, Advanced Noncommissioned Officer’s Course, and the Sergeants Major Course. SGM Merritt also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Operations Management.
SGM Merritt’s awards include the Meritorious Service Medal 3RD Award, Army Commendation Medal 3RD Award, Army Achievement Medal 4TH Award, Army Good Conduct Medal 8TH Award, National Defense Medal 2ND Award, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon , Armed Forces Reserve Medal with “M” Device and Silver Hour Glass, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, Army Service Ribbon, NCO Professional Development Ribbon 5TH Award, Lincoln Medal of Freedom, Illinois Military Attendance Ribbon 11TH Award, Illinois Long and Honorable 2ND Award, Basic Aviation Badge, Combat Action Badge, and Driver’s Badge. His civic and professional affiliations include the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the National Guard Association of Illinois.
SGM Merritt is married to Wendy. He has two sons, Gunner and Tavin.