Brigadier General William C. Bilo
Description
BG William Bilo's military career began when he enlisted in the United States Army in 1964. He was commissioned a second lieutenant on 17 December 1965 after graduating from the Artillery and Missile Officer Candidate School (OCS), Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He served as a Pershing Instructor in the Artillery and Missile School and was later assigned as a TAC Officer at the Artillery OCS, Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
He was then reassigned to Germany and served as a Platoon Leader and Executive Officer for Battery "C", 4th Battalion, 41st Artillery (Pershing) and as the Battery Commander of Battery "B", 4th Battalion, 41st Artillery (Pershing). He received an inter-theater transfer to Vietnam where he had two combat commands, serving first as Commander of Battery "B", 1st Battalion, 77th Artillery, and then as Commander of Service Battery, 1st Battalion, 30th Artillery, 1st Cavalry Division.
General Bilo requested and was granted voluntary release from active duty in August 1972. He co-founded Dico Inc., a family residential construction business in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. During this period, he maintained his membership in the military as a member of the Army Reserve and then in the Army National Guard.
He served in many Command and Staff positions in the Oklahoma, Virginia, and Maryland Army National Guard. He served as the Brigade Executive Officer for the 58th Infantry Brigade of the Maryland Army National Guard and later as the Director of Personnel, Headquarters, State Area Command, Maryland Army National Guard. He was selected by Secretary of the Army John O. Marsh, Jr. to assist in the reactivation of the 29th Infantry Division (Light), serving as the Division's Chief of Staff from 1984 to 1987. At this time General Bilo accepted an active duty tour on which he would remain until his retirement in 1997. General Bilo served as the Chief of Staff, Maryland Army National Guard, and in 1992, was selected to serve as the Commander, Division Support Command (DISCOM), 29th Infantry Division (Light), until his selection and executive appointment as the Deputy Director, Army National Guard, in September 1993.
General Bilo became the Deputy Director of the Army National Guard at the National Guard Bureau in Washington, D.C. on September 16, 1993. As the Deputy Director, he assisted the Director, Army National Guard, in formulating, developing, and coordinating all programs, policies, and plans effecting the Army National Guard and its more than 367,000 Soldiers.
He retired from active duty in October 1997. During his 33 years of military duty, he served in all three components of the Army and became branch qualified in the Artillery, Ordnance, and Infantry branches. Upon his retirement from active duty, he founded an international consulting company and in his extensive travels around the world, he has represented numerous private companies and several governmental agencies.
General Bilo has been very active in the community. He served on the Board of Directors for the Baltimore Association of Retarded Citizens and has received three Mayoral citations in Baltimore for work in the local school system. He has volunteered numerous hours at a level 5 education facility for special needs elementary students. He worked as a volunteer in assisting in running a kitchen for Sarah's Hope, a shelter for homeless women and their children. He also was selected to serve on the Governor of Maryland's Task Force to evaluate the state's support for military veterans that reside in Maryland.
General Bilo's education and military training include a B.A. in History from Cameron University, Lawton, Oklahoma; a MBA in Business and Public Administration, Southeastern University, Washington, D.C.; the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College; Industrial College of the Armed Forces; the Army War College and the Program for Senior Executives in National and International Security, John Fitzgerald Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.
His military awards and decorations include: the Distinguished Service Medal; the Legion of Merit w/ one Oak Leaf Cluster; the Bronze Star Medal w/ three Oak Leaf Clusters and "V" Device; the Meritorious Service Medal w/ Oak Leaf Cluster; the Air Medal; the Army Commendation Medal w/ four Oak Leaf Clusters and "V" Device; the Army Achievement Medal w/ Oak Leaf Cluster; the Good Conduct Medal; the Selective Service Meritorious Service Medal; the Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal w/ three Oak Leaf Clusters; the National Defense Service Medal w/ Bronze Service Star; the Vietnam Service Medal w/ two Bronze Service Stars; the Armed Forces Reserve Medal w/ Hourglass Device; the Army Service Ribbon; the Overseas Service Ribbon w/ Numeral 2; the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal; the Army Staff Identification Badge and two Overseas Service Bars. General Bilo's unit awards include the Presidential Unit Citation, Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) and the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross w/ Palm.
Additional honors include: Distinguished Member 30th Field Artillery Regiment, Honorary Colonel 30th Field Artillery Regiment, Past President 30th Field Artillery Regiment Association Honorary Distinguished Member 3rd Infantry Regiment Honorary Member 175th Infantry Regiment Honorary Distinguished Member 77th Field Artillery Regiment, Fort. Sill, Oklahoma Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame, Recipient Ancient Order of St. Barbara 56th Artillery Group Pershing Professionals Badge, Cameron University Distinguished Alumni Award and Hall of Heroes Military Science Department, Selective Service Meritorious Service Medal, Chief National Guard Bureau Eagle Award, Alaska State Commendation Medal, Arkansas State Traveler's Award, District of Columbia Distinguished Service Medal, State of Kentucky's Kentucky Colonel's Award, Maryland Distinguished Service Medal, Maryland Meritorious Service Medal, Maryland Commendation Medal, Maryland State Service Ribbon, Maryland Governor's Military Staff Badge, Maryland Governor's Salute for Service Award, Christopher Columbus Marine Research Center Resolution of Appreciation, Citizen Citation City of Baltimore, Mayor's Citation City of Baltimore, Mississippi State Magnolia Cross Medal, New Mexico State Medal of Merit Medal, Pennsylvania State Distinguished Service Medal, Rhode Island State Governor's Appreciation Certificate, Virginia State Commendation Medal, Knights of Columbus 4th Degree - Sir Knight of the Year for Maryland - 2005.
