Admiral James Stavridis, US European Command commander, was in Zagreb Feb. 18 to present Lieutenant General Drago Lovric, the Chief of Defence of the Croatian Armed Forces with the Legion of Merit. 

The Legion of Merit was awarded for Lovric’s exceptionally meritorious service as Chief of Defence of Croatia from March 2011 to March 2013 and was presented on behalf of the President of the United States. The citation that accompanies this award specifically notes Lovric's leadership and vision in support of many NATO missions during his tenure.

Stavridis said, "This is one of the highest U.S. awards there is. It is a recognition not only of General Lovic's extraordinary achievements but also of Croatia's phenomenal work all around the alliance."

The award is a powerful recognition of leadership and sacrifice in support of Croatia's defence partnership with the United States and Lovric's tremendous dedication to reform and modernization of the Croatian Armed Forces.

The Legion of Merit is one of the very highest U.S. military awards for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding activities. The award is given both to U.S. military personnel and to international army and government officials.