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Gen. Douglas MacArthur once said a true leader “does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the quality of his actions and the integrity of his intent.”
For Capt. John Ekblad, of Chicago, being a state nominee for the Gen. Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award validates his hard work throughout his 19-year career in the Illinois Army National Guard.
“It is special to be a state nominee,” said Ekblad, Commander of the 1744th Transportation Company, based in Crestwood, Illinois. “It means my command thinks I am a true steward of my profession.”
Lt. Col. Timothy Newman, Commander, 108th Sustainment Brigade, the 1744th’s brigade headquarters, which is headquartered in Chicago, said Ekblad’s leadership, influence and values stood out above everyone competing for the nomination.
“Captain Ekblad exemplifies the spirit and intent of the General Douglas MacArthur Leadership award,” Newman said. “His leadership is demonstrated through his contributions to the community, his civilian employment, and the Illinois Army National Guard.”
Ekblad enlisted in the Illinois Army National Guard in 2002, rose to the rank of staff sergeant before commissioning as a second lieutenant through the Illinois Army National Guard Officer Candidate School in 2012.
Ekblad deployed to Iraq in 2004 with Battery G, 202nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment. He deployed to Afghanistan in 2009 with the 333rd Military Police Company, based in Freeport, Illinois. He encourages his fellow junior grade officers to lean on the experience of the senior non-commissioned officers in their units.
“Trust your gut,” Ekblad said. “If you don’t know the answer, seek feedback from knowledgeable Soldiers and make the best decision you can based on that information.”
Ekblad urges Soldiers in leadership positions to keep their eyes open to help their Soldiers.
“The National Guard is a balancing act between civilian life and military life. The military side, which we mostly see when we gather for drill weekends, annual training and deployments, is structured, but sometimes things happen in our civilian life which get a Soldier off track,” he said. “We have to be able to help them get back on track. We, as leaders, are in the best position to help Soldiers lead a better life and achieve their goals.”
Ekblad said each battalion in the Illinois Army National Guard encourages their eligible company grade officers and warrant officers to complete a packet to submit for consideration for the annual award. Each packet is evaluated at the battalion level before being considered at the brigade level. Following the brigade selection, the state leadership selects the state nominees and forwards those packets to the National Guard Bureau for further consideration. The Army-wide award selections will be announced in late March.
Ekblad recently completed his Master’s Degree in Business Administration at the University of Illinois – Chicago. While working toward his Master’s, he worked for the Chicago Transit Authority leading a change management project.
Since 1988, the award has recognized officers and warrant officers in the regular Army, Reserve and National Guard who have displayed the ideals that MacArthur once stood for -- duty, honor and country. MacArthur commanded troops in the Southwest Pacific during World War II and oversaw the successful occupation of postwar Japan before he lead United Nations forces in the Korean War.
| Date Taken: | 02.12.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 03.12.2021 21:54 |
| Story ID: | 391256 |
| Location: | SPRINGFIELD, IL, US |
| Hometown: | CHICAGO, IL, US |
| Web Views: | 179 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Chicago Soldier selected as Illinois Army National Guard nominee for Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award, by Barbara Wilson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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