Camden attorney thrice-awarded in two weeks
December 6, 2012
By W. Thomas Smith Jr.
December 5, 2012
CAMDEN, SC – COL Thomas Stowe Mullikin, pres. of the Camden-based Mullikin Law firm has received three awards in two weeks; two military decorations and an IRONMAN recognition for his mountain-climbing feats over the past two years.
As deputy commander of the S.C. State Guard, Mullikin was awarded the Joint Services Det.’s Meritorious Service Medal, Nov. 17, and the State Guard’s Medal of Merit, Dec. 1, both in recognition for his extraordinary service to the S.C. Military Dept.
Though I am grateful for this recognition [the Medal of Merit], this is not as much about me as it is about the direction we are taking the State Guard as we continue to recruit extremely skilled, talented, and experienced Guardsmen and as we strive toward meeting every objective within our mission essential task list, says Mullikin.
Presented by Ironman Outdoors (Sandhills chapter), the IRONMAN award is – according to the citation – “for leadership in the S.C. Military Dept., mountaineering feats – achieving the summits of Kilimanjaro in 2010 and Elbrus in 2012 – and for ongoing Christian witness to his fellow man.
Mullikin climbed Mt. Elbrus in Russia – at 18,510 feet the highest mountain in Europe – reaching the summit of the great peak on July 7, 2012. He climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro – at 19,341 feet, the highest mountain in Africa – in 2010.
Mullikin has since led or participated in several hiking and diving expeditions around the world, including a 25K State Guard Readiness hike in which each participant – members of the State Guard, National Guard, U.S. Marines, and cadets from The Citadel – carried at least 75 lbs. of gear on their backs, delivering that gear to a makeshift forward operating base in the Francis Marion National Forest in Sept.
Mullikin’s three awards in two weeks comes on the heels of his having been named an Honorary Green Beret by the Special Forces Association’s S.C. Chapter in Sept. and having received a S.C. Senate commendation for the same [see article here].
What’s next for Mullikin? He plans to tackle Argentina’s famed Aconcagua, next year, which at 22,841 feet is the highest mountain in both the Western and Southern Hemispheres.
– Visit W. Thomas Smith Jr. at http://uswriter.com.
