Illinois Army National Guard Major Retires After More Than 25 Years of Service

Maj. Craig M. Watkins of the Illinois Army National Guard's 34^th Division Sustainment Brigade retired on Saturday, Sept. 12, during a ceremony at the historic Kedzie Avenue Armory, culminating more than 25 years of dedicated military service.

Watkins, a logistics officer who served in key command and staff roles across Illinois and overseas, was joined by family, friends, and fellow service members. During the ceremony, Col. Brad Roach, commander of the 34th Division Sustainment Brigade, presented Watkins with the Meritorious Service Medal in recognition of his sustained leadership, performance, and honorable devotion to duty.

Watkins was also inducted into the Transportation Corps' Honorable Order of Saint Christopher. The prestigious award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated the highest standards of integrity, professional competence, and enduring devotion to the United States Army Transportation Corps.

A central highlight of the ceremony honored the vital support provided behind the scenes by Watkins' spouse, Kimberly Watkins. In recognition of more than two decades of steadfast commitment to the military community and her family, she was presented with a Certificate of Appreciation signed by the Chief of Staff of the Army. The award commended her selfless dedication, resilience, and personal sacrifices through multiple mobilizations, state active duty missions, and overseas combat deployments to Iraq and Kuwait. The Watkins' 11-year-old son, Hendrik, and 8-year-old daughter, Hannah, joined them at the retirement celebration.

In his remarks, Watkins credited Kimberly as the cornerstone of his military journey, emphasizing that military service is a shared calling and that her support made his sustained career possible.

"Major Watkins has exemplified selfless service and logistical expertise through every chapter of his career, from the enlisted ranks to brigade-level operations," Roach said. "His commitment to soldiers and mission success leaves an enduring mark on the 34th Division Sustainment Brigade and the Illinois National Guard as a whole."

Watkins began his military career in the enlisted ranks in December 2000, serving initially in field artillery as a howitzer section chief with the 123rd Field Artillery in Galesburg, Illinois, and later supporting the Illinois National Guard's recruiting and retention missions. He deployed to Iraq in 2003 during Operation Iraqi Freedom, earning the Combat Action Badge.

Following his graduation from Officer Candidate School, Watkins commissioned as a second lieutenant in 2015. Over the following decade, he held pivotal assignments across Illinois, including platoon leader with the 1844th Transportation Company in Beardstown, company commander of the 1644th Transportation Company in Rock Falls, personnel staff officer with the 198th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion in Chicago, and brigade logistics staff officer with the 34th Division Sustainment Brigade. Most recently, he deployed overseas to Kuwait with the 34th Division Sustainment Brigade in support of regional operations.

His military decorations include two awards of the Meritorious Service Medal, six Army Commendation Medals, two Army Achievement Medals, three Army Good Conduct Medals, three Army Reserve Components Achievement Medals, the Iraq Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, and the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with "M" Device.

Watkins holds a Master of Science in workforce education and development from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He and his family reside in Wheaton, Illinois.