SPRINGFIELD, IL (11/06/2012)(readMedia)-- The former director of the Illinois State Military Museum will assist the New Jersey National Guard Museum recover and preserve its artifacts affected by Hurricane Sandy and the subsequent, widespread flooding.

Lt. Col. Mark Whitlock of Springfield said the New Jersey National Guard Museum's curator was looking for someone with experience assessing the restoration needs based on an artifact's condition to recover and stabilize the artifacts.

"I did this after hurricane Katrina in 2005," said Whitlock, who serves as the Illinois National Guard Command Historian. "I took a team that included a couple of artifacts experts and a forensics expert specializing in weapons to Jackson Barracks Military Museum in New Orleans to recover artifacts."

Whitlock was the director of the Illinois State Military Museum from 1995 to 2011 before serving a year with the U.S. Army Center of Military History in Washington, D.C. He has also served on the National Guard Bureau museum advisory council for the past 10 years.

The New Jersey National Guard Museum boasts the nation's largest collection of New Jersey related Civil War research material. Whitlock said he expects to be in New Jersey for just over a week and concentrate on the preservation of the New Jersey National Guard Museum's collection of weapons, uniforms, Civil War flags and other archival materials.

"Without assistance from museum specialists from other states, the New Jersey National Guard stands to lose its history," said Whitlock.

Time to Stand Up and Step Forward...

Our Military Heroes who served in Afghanistan and Iraq have had so much to contend with as they return home: Physical Injuries, PTSD, High rates of Unemployment, Homelessness.

And now, a Natural Disaster, the likes of which has never been seen on the East Coast of our great nation.

We want to do even more but we can't do it without your help!

Our Military always stands up and steps forward for us. Today, you can do the same for them. Your donation will help us help them NOW.

Please Donate Today so that Operation Gratitude can make a difference to to the Military men, women and children whose lives have been upended by Hurricane Sandy's devastation.

To support our heroes today, click here: DONATE NOW

Or mail a check payable and addressed to:

Operation Gratitude

16444 Refugio Road

Encino, CA 91436

Any amount will be greatly appreciated. THANK YOU for your generous support!

Guardsmen and Reservists Encouraged to Nominate Supportive Employers for Nation's Top Honor

ARLINGTON, VA. (11/01/2012)(readMedia)-- Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense agency, is now accepting nominations for the 2013 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award. The Freedom Award is the Department of Defense's highest award presented to civilian employers for support of their employees serving in the National Guard and Reserve. Nominations may be submitted by Guardsmen, Reservists, or family members acting on their behalf, at www.FreedomAward.mil through January 21, 2013.

Nearly one million Americans serve in the Guard and Reserve, making up almost one-half of the nation's total military. For more than 10 years, these Citizen Warriors have responded to unprecedented national security demands and humanitarian missions spanning the globe. The civilian employers of Guardsmen and Reservists have shared in their service to our nation by standing firmly behind employees, providing essential support and greater peace of mind.

"Employers of every size and industry continue to go to extraordinary lengths to demonstrate their unwavering commitment to employees serving in the Guard and Reserve," said James G. Rebholz, National Chair, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. "I urge all Guard and Reserve Service members who have benefited from their employer's support to nominate that employer for this most prestigious award. A Freedom Award nomination allows service members to acknowledge and thank their employer for the essential role they play in supporting their military career and in our nation's defense."

Each year, up to 15 of the nation's most supportive employers are selected as recipients and honored at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. Past Freedom Award recipients supportive measures have included arranging childcare services for deployed employees, sponsoring trips to visit injured employees, and working longer hours to cover the shifts of employees at military training.

About ESGR and the Freedom Award:

The Freedom Award was instituted in 1996 under the auspices of ESGR to recognize exceptional support from the employer community. In the years since, 175 employers have been honored with the award. Established as a DoD agency 40 years ago, ESGR develops and maintains employer support for Guard and Reserve service. ESGR advocates relevant initiatives, recognizes outstanding support, increases awareness of applicable laws, and resolves conflict between service members and employers. Paramount to ESGR's mission is encouraging employment of Guardsmen and Reservists who bring integrity, global perspective and proven leadership to the civilian workforce.

SPRINGFIELD, IL (10/31/2012)(readMedia)-- Six Soldiers with the aviation units in the Illinois Army National Guard completed Lincoln Land Community College's (LLCC) Airframe and Power Plant Technician course Oct. 18 at the school's aviation facility in Springfield.

The four-week course prepares the mechanics for the certification to support and maintain the four new UH-72A Lakotas the Illinois Army National Guard will be receiving September 2013, said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Norman Brooks of Clinton with Detachment 1, Company B, 1st Battalion, 376th Aviation Regiment. This is the first course of its type with other classes to follow in 2013.

"The UH-72A is a civilian off-the-shelf aircraft," said Brooks. "As military helicopter mechanics, we are not qualified to perform maintenance on the UH-72A. The UH-72A must be maintained to civilian standards with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations."

At this time the Army does not have military training for Soldiers to obtain the FAA certification, said Brooks. In order to meet the requirements and receive training the Illinois National Guard reached out LLCC for a way to train mechanics.

Brooks said according to FAA regulations servicemembers with 30 months of documented full-time experience can test for the Airframe and Power plant certification. The six Soldiers will take the certification testing starting roughly the last week of October with the final Soldier completing the evaluations on Nov. 3.

Over the past year the Illinois National Guard's State Aviation Office has worked in conjunction with LLCC to create a civilian Airframe and Power plant certification course. After taking the course the Soldier will then take the test for their certification of Airframe and Power plant technician that is granted by the FAA.

The course is typically 18 months long but is condensed to a four-week course for the Soldiers, said LLCC aviation instructor Todd Cole of Jacksonville. The three-week course covers all 44 sections outlined by the FAA aviation maintenance training standards.

"It's not aircraft specific," said Cole. "With what they learn here, they can take this information and apply it to any aircraft in the future."

The Soldiers showed a high level of proficiency and experience in the classroom and while working hands-on. In the end these Soldiers will have a greater knowledge of how to repair and maintain a variety of aircrafts, said Cole.

"They should have a thorough working knowledge of how to perform not only the upkeep maintenance and routine maintenance, but also major repair and alterations," said Cole.

First Sgt. Michael Garver of Decatur, with Company D, 1st Battalion, 106th Aviation Regiment has worked as a military helicopter mechanic for more than 25 years.

"It's an opportunity to learn more about another type of aircraft that's a commercial version rather than a military version."

Garver said the course has been an enjoyable challenge to learn maintenance on the various types of civilian and commercial aircrafts.

"In the military I learned how to work on two types of aircraft, the UH-58 (Kiowa) and the UH-60 (Black Hawk)," said Garver. "This course expands it and opens it up to everything. I've gained a lot more knowledge about types of engines, air frames, airplanes and different types of systems we in the military don't necessarily use."

The three-week course prepares the Soldiers for the certification testing which typically takes eight hours a day over a two-day period.

"They have to be prepared," said Jim Van Kleek aviation program director with LLCC. "In nationwide norms for this in FAA, nearly 20 to 30 percent fail this test the first time."

The information in the course and the testing ensure that those certified are trained and can provide the needed maintenance to ensure the readiness of the aircrafts, said Van Kleek.

"It's always about safety when it comes to aviation," said Van Kleek. "We try to teach them how to maintain these (aircraft) as safely as possible and that's our main goal. If you don't have the training, you don't know if these (aircraft) are operating properly."