The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Legion of Merit to Captain Michael `W. Hartford, United States Navy, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service as Deputy Director, Reserve Policy and Integration, Office of the Total Force, Bureau of Medicine an Surgery, Falls Church, Virginia, from October 2010 to September 2013. Captain Hartford’s transformational leadership was instrumental in achieving significant improvements in the Reserve Component’s involvement in the strategic planning process and the operational capabilities of Navy Medicine. He orchestrated the first operational training for two reserve component expeditionary medical facilities at the Navy Expeditionary Medical Training Institute and coordinated their participation of the collective Protection Systems Evaluation and Cheatham Annex. His role in the Navy’s humanitarian assistance missions resulted in the allocation of more than eight million dollars of human capital to support Operations CONTINUING PROMISE 2011 and PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP 2012. His dialogue with internal and external active and reserve component stakeholders, in the fleet and at the Tri-Service level, led to dramatic improvements in force structure and in incentivizing Continuum of Service initiatives. By his dynamic direction, keen judgment, and loyal devotion to duty, Captain Hartford reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.