Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. on Tuesday received the Charles Dick Medal of Merit for his support of the Utah National Guard and military. The award was founded in 1988 and recognizes elected officials who make "significant" contributions to the Guard. Spokesman Maj. Hank McIntire called Huntsman a "champion" of soldiers and airmen in the Utah Guard and praised the governor for his multiple trips to visit troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. The late Charles Dick, a general in the Ohio National Guard, was a congressman credited with getting legislation passed that established the modern National Guard.