U.S. Navy officer receives the Order of the Croatian Three-strand pattern
The reserve officer of the U.S. Navy, Commander Jure Kutleša, was presented with the Order of the Croatian Three-strand pattern in Chicago on 21 November 2014, by the Consul General of the Republic of Croatia in Chicago, Mrs Jelena Grčić Polić.
He was decorated on the expiration of his office, in recognition for an exceptional contribution to the development and reputation of the Croatian Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces and of the bilateral relations, in the quality of staff officer of the USNAVEUR.
Working in the U.S. Embassy to Croatia (the Defence Attache’ Office and the Office for Defense Cooperation) and in its main base of the U.S. in the period 2006 to2013, Commander Kutleša contributed to the development of the bilateral defence and military co-operation with the focus placed on the defence capabilities of the Croatian military, its training and equipping aimed at attaining the required readiness, compatibility and interoperability standards, taking part in the naval bilateral activities himself.
Commander Kutleša was born in Chicago, to the family from Tomislavgrad and engaged in the activities preserving the Croatian language and traditional kulture, within the Croatian-American community.