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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to congratulate Major General Michael
4Zerbonia on the occasion of his retirement from the Illinois
5National Guard on July 31, 2021, after 38 years of military
6service; and
 
7    WHEREAS, General Zerbonia received his Bachelor of Science
8in Criminal Justice from Northeast Missouri State University;
9he earned his Master of Arts in Strategic Studies from the U.S.
10Army War College; his military education also includes the Air
11Defense Artillery Officer Basic Course, Air Defense Artillery
12Officer Advanced Course, Combined Arms Service and Staff
13School, Command and General Staff College, Defense Strategy
14Course, and Dual Status Commander's Course; and
 
15    WHEREAS, General Zerbonia originally enlisted as a
16military policeman in the Missouri Army National Guard in
171983; after completing the Reserve Officer Training Corps
18program at Northeast Missouri State University, he was
19commissioned as a second lieutenant on May 9, 1986; and
 
20    WHEREAS, General Zerbonia transferred to the active Army
21as an air defense artillery officer in 1988; he joined the
22Illinois National Guard as the assistant air defense

 

 

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1coordination officer with the 1st Battalion, 202nd Air Defense
2Artillery Regiment in 1991; and
 
3    WHEREAS, General Zerbonia has served in critical roles at
4all levels of command and staff, including serving as
5commander of the Bilateral Embedded Staff Team A10 and as the
6deputy brigade commander for the Polish 12th Mechanized
7Brigade in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Ghazni
8Province, Afghanistan; and
 
9    WHEREAS, General Zerbonia supported military operations in
10Poland, Turkey, and Germany; he was deployed to Iraq in
11support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from June 2005 to June 2006
12and to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom
13from October 2012 to May 2013; and
 
14    WHEREAS, General Zerbonia has served as the assistant
15adjutant general since October 1, 2015; he is the principal
16assistant in all matters pertaining to the supervision and
17management of the Illinois Department of Military Affairs and
18the Illinois Army National Guard, which consists of 10,000
19citizen-soldiers; and
 
20    WHEREAS, General Zerbonia has received a number of awards
21and decorations, including the Legion of Merit, the Bronze
22Star (1 Oak Leaf Cluster), the Meritorious Service Medal (2

 

 

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1Oak Leaf Clusters), the Army Commendation Medal (3 Oak Leaf
2Clusters), the Army Achievement Medal (1 Oak Leaf Cluster),
3the National Defense Ribbon, the Army Reserve Component
4Achievement Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Combat Action
5Badge, and the Bronze Medal of the Polish Armed Forces; and
 
6    WHEREAS, General Zerbonia has spent his military career
7protecting and serving the State of Illinois and our country;
8therefore, be it
 
9    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
10HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
11we congratulate Major General Michael Zerbonia on his
12retirement from the Illinois National Guard and thank him for
13his service to the country over the past 38 years; and be it
14further
 
15    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
16presented to General Zerbonia as an expression of our esteem
17and respect.