Hawaii Rep. Mark Takai has been honored for serving in the Hawaii Legislature while being deployed to the Middle East.

Takai is one of 15 legislators and one legislative staff member awarded the National Medal of Civic Honor at the National Conference of State Legislatures’ 2010 legislative summit last week in Lexington, Ky.

NCSL Executive Director William T. Pound says the award honors those who put their state and country before themselves.

Takai is a Democrat representing Pearl City.

His deployment as Base Operations Officer at Camp Patriot in Kuwait forced him to miss the 2009 legislative session.