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ACFEI Articles U.S. Serviceman Paul Smith Recognized Posthumously with the Congressional Medal of Honor ACFEI, CHS, and the CHS Veterans Corps Support the Congressional Medal of Honor Society Sgt. First Class Paul R. Smith has been honored posthumously with the Congressional Medal of Honor in recognition of actions he carried out above and beyond the call of duty while fighting for our country in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Smith was killed approximately 2 years ago at the age of 33 while defending his Army unit in a battle with Special Republican Guard troops that vastly outnumbered his own troops. He is the first soldier out of the military men and women who have served in Afghanistan and Iraq in recent years to be recognized with the Medal of Honor. The Congressional Medal of Honor is the highest award that can be bestowed upon the men and women who serve in the United States military. It is awarded for a deed performed out of personal bravery or self-sacrifice so conspicuous that it clearly distinguishes the individual from his or her comrades; the action must also have involved a risk to the individual’s life. Those Congressional Medal of Honor recipients who are still living today are supported by the United States Congressional Medal of Honor Society. This elite society was created to develop a bond of comradeship among all holders of the Congressional Medal of Honor; to protect, uphold, and preserve the dignity and honor of the medal at all times and on all occasions; to protect the name of the medal and individual recipients of the medal from exploitation; to provide appropriate aid to all persons to whom the medal has been awarded, their widows, or their children; to inspire and stimulate American youth to become upstanding U.S. citizens; and to foster and perpetuate Americanism. Nick Bacon, Chair of the American Board for Certification in Homeland Security (ABCHS) and Director of the Certified in Homeland Security Program’s newest component, the CHS Veterans Corps, is also a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient. He also is the immediate past president of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Bacon is recognized nationally as a leading advocate for veterans’ affairs. He has held an extensive career of dedicated military and public service. He received numerous awards and decorations in honor of his service in the U.S. Army, including the Distinguished Service Cross, Legion of Merit Bronze Star, Combat Infantry Badge, and Purple Heart. Bacon recently retired as the Civilian Aid to the Secretary of the U.S. Army and as the Director of the Arkansas Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Dr. Robert O’Block, founder of the American College of Forensic Examiners Institute (ACFEI), the Certified in Homeland Security Program (CHS), and the new CHS Veterans Corps, is honored to have a distinguished military hero like Nick Bacon serving as a representative of ABCHS, the CHS Program, and the CHS Veterans Corps. Dr. O’Block and ACFEI, CHS, and the CHS Veterans Corps are also proud supporters of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. In recent years, these associations have helped sponsor a Congressional Medal of Honor Society banquet in Branson, Missouri. Several ACFEI and CHS staff members also volunteered their time to work at that event. On behalf of the staff and members of ACFEI, CHS, and the CHS Veterans Corps, we wish to express our deepest heartfelt sympathy to Sgt. Smith’s family and friends for their tragic loss. We also wish to thank all the brave men and women who have so valiantly dedicated their lives to protecting our nation. For more information on the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, visit the organization’s website at www.cmohs.com. To learn more about ACFEI, the CHS Program, or the CHS Veterans Corps, call toll-free (800) 423-9737. This Article is brought to you by
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