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A Career of Service: Illinois Army Guard Soldier Reflects on Time in Active Component, Army Guard, and Army Reserve
July 11, 2025
U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Hussein Mashal, an infantryman with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 178th Infantry Regiment, Illinois Army National Guard, listens to questions from troops about sniper training at a range near Toruń, Poland, June 7, 2025.
Pennsylvania Guard Soldiers Mobilize to Horn of Africa
April 3, 2025
U.S. Army soldiers, assigned to Task Force Associator, work with members from the Djiboutian Coast Guard to preform squad movement and battle drills during Bull Shark 25-1 at Garde-Côtes Djiboutienne GCD, Djibouti, Nov. 4, 2024.
US, Polish Partners Strengthen Interoperability, Modernization
March 10, 2025
U.S. and Polish military personnel gather at 1 Baza Lotnictwa Transportowego (1st Airlift Base) in Warsaw, Poland, highlighting continued collaboration in enhancing NATO interoperability. The Illinois National Guard and Poland have been partners in the State Partnership Program since its inception in 1993.
Illinois Guard Unit to Support U.S. Army Europe and Africa
January 21, 2025
Soldiers stand in formation during a mobilization ceremony for the 634th Brigade Support Battalion Forward Logistics Element Jan. 20, 2025, at the Illinois Army National Guard's Readiness Center in Sullivan. The unit, with just over a dozen Soldiers, will support logistics for U.S. Army Europe and Africa.
Illinois Army Guard’s Top Recruiter Pays it Forward
January 3, 2025
Brig. Gen. Lenny Williams, the assistant adjutant general - Army of the Illinois National Guard and the commander of the Illinois Army National Guard, State Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Kelly, and State Command Chief Warrant Officer CW5 Thomas Black present Staff Sgt. Francisco Orozco with an award at the Illinois Army National Guard's Recruiting and Retention Battalion's annual awards banquet Nov.16, 2024, in Peoria. Orozco was the Illinois Army National Guard's Recruiting and Retention Noncommissioned Officer of the Year with 35 enlistments.
NGB Hosts Deployable Defensive Cyber Operations Systems-Modular Master Gunner Course
November 13, 2024
Guardsmen from Arkansas, California, Colorado, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin participate in a two-week Army National Guard Defensive Deployable Cyber Operations Systems-Modular Master Gunner Course at Jackson Barracks, a Louisiana National Guard installation in New Orleans, Oct. 28 to Nov. 7, 2024.
Illinois, Ohio Guard Teams Survey Polish Bases with USAFE
November 5, 2024
U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jaron Bridges, 126th Logistics Readiness Squadron, points to pallets stacked up at the 8th Airlift Base, Krakow, Poland, Oct. 21, 2024. The 126th LRS was in Poland as part of an expeditionary site survey of Polish bases to assess their capabilities and runway strength for use by U.S., allied and partner forces.
World War II POW Guardsman Returned Home for Burial
October 2, 2024
A military and funeral honors team loads the flag-draped coffin containing the remains of Illinois Army National Guard Pfc. Harry Jerele into a hearse at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago Oct. 1, 2024. Jerele was a World War II prisoner of war who died in captivity in 1943.
Illinois Guard Security Battalion Team Deploys to Africa
August 7, 2024
Brig. Gen. Justin Osberg presented the Soldiers of Logistics Advisor Team 6620 with an Illinois State Flag to carry on the team's deployment to Africa. Pictured from left on Aug. 4, 2024, is State Command Sgt. Maj. Phillip Barber, Logistics Advisor Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christopher Fitch, Team Leader Maj. Walter Brown, Osberg, and State Command Chief Warrant Officer Chief Warrant Officer 5 Tom Black.
Illinois National Guard, Partners Train in Cyber Exercise
July 25, 2024
More than 50 Illinois National Guard Soldiers and Airmen, along with civilians from the Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology and the Illinois State Board of Elections, returned recently from a major cyber training exercise sponsored by the National Guard Bureau. Close to 1,000 military and civilian local, state and federal cyber experts from 41 states and territories and 13 international partners participated in Cyber Shield 2024 May 31 to June 15 at the Virginia National Guard State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach, Va.
Michigan Guard Engineers Train on Wet-Gap Crossing
June 21, 2024
Michigan National Guard Engineers of the 1437th Multi-Role Bridge Company worked through the night to unload trucks carrying boats and bridge sections and successfully pieced together a bridge across the Mississippi River during training on Camp Ripley, Minnesota, June 11, 2024.
Young Cancer Patient Made Honorary 1st Sergeant in Illinois Guard
June 11, 2024
Jamir Gibbs,7, of Marion, Illinois, shows off the football jersey he received with 1st Sgt. Beau Detrick of November Company, Recruit Sustainment Program, Illinois Army National Guard Recruiting and Retention Command. Jamir was promoted to "Honorary First Sergeant" June 8, 2024, at the Illinois Army National Guard's Marion Readiness Center in honor of his courageous fight against cancer.
Illinois Guard Completes Emergency Response Training
June 3, 2024
The Illinois Army and Air National Guard’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive Enhanced Response Force Package Search and Extraction Team built a protective barrier to treat the wounded during a training exercise in Sparta, Illinois, May 2-5, 2024. The exercise focused on enhancing the readiness and capabilities of CERFP units.
New York Army Guard Soldiers Heading to North Africa
April 30, 2024
African Lion provides an opportunity to conduct realistic, dynamic and collaborative readiness training in an austere environment that intersects multiple geographic and functional combatant commands, including U.S. Africa Command, U.S. European Command, and U.S. Central Command, and strategic maritime choke points and global shipping lanes.
National Guard-led Space Exercise Helps Build Programs for NATO Partners
April 8, 2024
Air Force Staff Sgt. Javin Delgado, an electronic warfare specialist with the Hawaii Air National Guard’s 154th Wing, prepares to calibrate electronic warfare equipment as Senior Airman Oscar Mendoza, a space systems operator with the 148th Space Operations Squadron, looks on during Vulcan Guard Bolt 6, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, March 27, 2024. Though not part of the mission planning portion of the space-focused exercise, Delgado and Mendoza showcased EW assets to Vulcan Guard participants and distinguished visitors.
Army National Guard Soldiers Train in Funeral Honors Program
March 20, 2024
The Virginia Army National Guard Funeral Honors Program hosts 11 Army National Guard Soldiers from nine states and territories for a level 2 funeral honors training course March 5, 2024, at the State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Soldiers from Virginia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Wisconsin participated in the two week-long training, which certifies instructors to teach fellow Soldiers the skills, procedures and standards for providing final respects to military veterans.
Illinois National Guard Honors Former Guardsman Abe Lincoln
February 15, 2024
Brig. Gen. Mark Alessia, Illinois National Guard, salutes after placing a wreath at the tomb of former President Abraham Lincoln on behalf of the president of the United States Feb. 12, 2024, as part of the 90th annual American Legion Pilgrimage to Lincoln’s Tomb at Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, Illinois.
Maryland Air Guard, Estonian Partners Focus on Cyber Defense
October 18, 2023
The Maryland Air National Guard partnered with Estonia’s Cyber Command to host exercise Baltic Blitz 23 Sept. 17-20, 2023, at Ämari Air Base, Harijumaa, Estonia. About 30 Airmen from the 175th Wing, two soldiers from the Illinois Army National Guard, 12 service members from Poland, and 30 Estonians participated in the cyber exercise.
Massachusetts Guard Attends Planning Conference in Israel
September 25, 2023
Members of the 102nd Intelligence Wing, Massachusetts Air National Guard, attended the National Guard Bureau-Home Front Command annual planning conference at HFC Headquarters in Ramla, Israel, July 22-28, 2023.
Maryland Guard, Estonian Partners Focus on Cyber Defense
September 21, 2023
The Maryland Air National Guard partnered with Estonia’s Cyber Command to host exercise Baltic Blitz 23 from Sept. 17-20, 2023, at Ämari Air Base, Harijumaa, Estonia. About 30 Airmen from the 175th Wing, two Illinois Army National Guard Soldiers, 12 service members from Poland, and 30 Estonians participated in the exercise to secure simulated rail transportation systems from cyber attacks.