Goodfellow soldier earns local Order of Merit Published March 6, 2013 By Airman 1st Class Joshua Edwards 17th Training Wing Public Affairs SAN ANGELO, Texas -- Johnny Griffin, Chairman of Military Affairs for San Angelo honored Army Sgt. 1st Class Robert Phillips, Army 344th Military Intelligence Battalion instructor, with the Chamber of Commerce Order of Merit Award at the chamber's luncheon meeting held at the Clarion Hotel, March 5. The Order of Merit is annually presented to a service member who demonstrates outstanding service to country and community. There were four nominees for the award; one from each branch of service. "The nominee we are going to recognized today is an active duty service member who was nominated by his commander, for presenting outstanding military performance and exemplarily community involvement," said Griffin. "He was a coordinator of 53 volunteers for an Adopt-A-Highway clean-up, involved in the Combined Federal Campaign and his unit rose over $16,000 and volunteered at a local soup kitchen feeding approximately 200 people." Griffin continued on talking about the other achievements Phillips had accomplished such as, leading blood drives, which collected 926 pints of blood, and how he collected more than 11,000 food items for a food drive. Once the speech was finished, he announced the winner. However, Phillips is currently deployed; Army Capt. Kevin Turnblom, Army 344th Military Intelligence Battalion Alpha Company Commander, and 1st Sgt. Theodore Schwarz, Army 344th Military Intelligence Battalion first sergeant, accepted the award on his behalf. "I'm extremely proud of Sgt. 1st Class Phillips," said Schwarz. "He is the type of NCO that goes out of his way to help, when he sees others in need. He gets very involved in the community and is able to get others to help."
