March 8 ceremony recognizes Soldiers with 1965th Contingency Contracting Team and Bilateral Embedded Staff Team

SPRINGFIELD, IL (03/03/2015)(readMedia)-- Two teams of Soldiers will be recognized March 8 by the National Guard Bureau Freedom Salute Campaign for their sacrifice and service in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Approximately 20 Soldiers will be recognized at 2 p.m. at Camp Lincoln, 1301 N. MacArthur Blvd. in Springfield, Illinois.

1965th Contingency Contracting Team

Four Soldiers with the 1965th Contingency Contracting Team (CCT) mobilized in March 2014 and deployed to Afghanistan, returning home in November 2014. Two Springfield Soldiers on the team will be part of the ceremony. The other two had follow-on missions after the deployment.

The 1965th CCT is a group of highly-skilled contracting officers and contract specialists who executed and administered government funds through contracts to obtain goods, services and construction from commercial sources to support contingency operations.

Capt. David Picchi of Springfield, Illinois was part of the team and recognized as a top performer for Central Command Joint Theater Support Contracting Command. The region includes Afghanistan, Kuwait and Qatar. Sgt. Ronald Witt Jr. of Springfield, Illinois will join Picchi at the ceremony.

Picchi said the team provided contracted mission support through the procurement of critical life support services such as water, trash, sanitation, dining facility operations, security and deconstruction services.

The 1965th executed and facilitated the logistics drawdown mission of the regional commands within Afghanistan. The team facilitated the downsizing of dozens of bases, as well as the closing of major theater airfields within the region.

All members of the team will be awarded the Afghanistan Campaign Medal as well, as the NATO service ribbon. Sgt 1st Class Marc Graves of Springfield, Illinois was also recognized as a top performer for Central Command Joint Theater Support Contracting Command. Maj. Milton Ware Jr. of Chicago and Graves were part of the team, but unable to be part of the ceremony because of additional missions following the 1965th deployment.

Bilateral Embedded Staff Team (BEST) A13

Approximately 20 Soldiers with the Bilateral Embedded Staff Team (BEST) A13 trained with the Polish Land Forces before mobilizing in April 2014. The Soldiers returned to their families Dec. 19, 2014.

The unique mission allowed Illinois Army National Guard Soldiers to train and deploy side-by-side with their Polish counterparts. The Soldiers are from various parts of Illinois and were selected for the mission based on their training and skills.

While deployed to Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan, the Soldiers facilitated operations with Task Force White Eagle, which is primarily composed of the Polish 10th Logistics Brigade. BEST Soldiers were embedded with the Polish brigade to synchronize task force operations.

BEST A13 had many accomplishments while in Afghanistan, including the recovery and turn-in of $3.5 million of unaccounted U.S. property, which would have been a loss to the government. The team also expanded the capability and functionality of the Polish military, a NATO partner. The Illinois National Guard has been a state partner with Poland since 1993, including side-by-side deployments with Polish Forces the past 20 years.

Freedom Salute Campaign

The Freedom Salute Campaign program is a small way to show these patriotic citizen-Soldiers, their families and employers how much their sacrifice is appreciated. On behalf of the National Guard Bureau, the Illinois Army National Guard will present each eligible Soldier with an encased American flag, as well as a sequentially-numbered

commemorative coin, certificate of appreciation and lapel pin. Families will also receive items recognizing their support and sacrifice.

The Freedom Salute Campaign is one of the largest Army National Guard recognition endeavors in history. It is designed to publicly acknowledge Army National Guard Soldiers and those who supported them while deployed.

News media attending the event should arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the ceremony and should notify the Public Affairs Office by 3 p.m., March 6 to be granted access onto Camp Lincoln. For more information call the Public Affairs Office at 217-761-3569.

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SPRINGFIELD, IL (02/26/2015)(readMedia)-- Soldiers from all over the state converged on Camp Lincoln Feb. 22 for the annual Adjutant General's Combatives Tournament hosted by the Illinois Army National Guard's Modern Army Combatives Team.

The two-day tournament had bouts in eight weight divisions from 105 pounds to more than 205 pounds. Preliminary rounds use the Modern Army Combative Program standard rules where competitors start in a standing position and work to take down and submit their opponent. The finals follow the MACP intermediate rules where the goal is the same, but allow competitors to use openhanded strikes to the face, closed hand strikes to the body, kicks, and knees to the lower extremities.

"The prelim rounds are double elimination, six minute bouts in each class and we use the standard competition rules," Master Sgt. James Frick of Herrin, Illinois, Headquarters, operations non-commissioned officer with the 129th Regional Training Institute and combatives team member said. "Then, when we get to the finals, they get to have a little more fun. They follow the intermediate rules where they can strike and they fight a single elimination, 10 minute bout."

Three teams brought more 50 competitors to the tournament. Medals were awarded to the top three finishers in each weight division and the tournament trophy was given to the top finishing team.

Tournament Results:

Team Results:

1. 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry - 329 points

2. 404th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade - 230 points

3. 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry - 125 points

Individual Results:

110 lb. Weight Division

1. Spc. Alma Ruff, Osewgo, Illinois, 135th Chemical Company

125 lb. Weight Class

1. Pvt. 1st Class Christopher Denning, Rock Falls, Troop B, 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry

2. Pvt. 1st Class Eliah Wence, Lakemoor, Illinois, 135th Chemical Company

3. Spc. Kamisha Bell, Carterville, Illinois, Co. E, 634th Brigade Services Battalion

140 lb. Weight Division

1. Spc. Gabriel Gloria, Sterling, Illinois, Troop B, 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry

2. Spc. Brock Scoggins, Carterville, Illinois, Headquarters, Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry

3. Sgt. Ricardo Brambila, Berwyn, Illinois, Troop B, 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry

155 lb. Weight Division

1. Spc. Seth Pilkington, Carthage, Illinois, 233rd Military Police Company

2. Cdt. Samuel Russ, Round Lake, Illinois, 766th Brigade Engineer Battalion, Signal

3. Sgt. 1st. Class Arkan Chehade, Wayne, Illinois, 108th Multifunctional Medical Battalion

170 lb. Weight Division

1. 2nd Lt. Ross Cooper, Gillespie, Illinois, 3637th Maintenance Company

2. Spc. Roberto Leal, Streamwood, Illinois, 1244th Transportation Company

3. Spc. Jose Roman, Dekalb, Illinois, Battery C, 2nd Battalion, 122nd Field Artillery

185 lb. Weight Division

1. Staff Sgt. Bryan Helfrich, Dixon, Illinois, 333rd Military Police Company

2. Pvt. 1st Class Andino Medina, LaGrange Park, Illinois, Troop C, 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry

3. Pvt. 1st Class Ivan Gonzalez, Berwyn, Illinois, Headquarters, Headquarters Battery, 2nd Battalion, 122nd Field Artillery

205 lb. Weight Division

1. Sgt. Logan Weir, Monmouth, Illinois, Headquarters, Headquarters Detachment, 44th Chemical Battalion

2. Spc. Brock Tedrick, Dixon, Illinois, Troop B, 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry

3. Sgt. Zechariah Johnson, Mount Morris, Illinois, Troop B, 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry

Heavyweight Division (over 205 lb.)

1. Pvt. Carlos Brown, Peoria, Illinois, Company A, 405th Brigade Support Battalion

2. Spc. Steven McMahon, Streamwood, Illinois, Troop C, 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry

3. Sgt. Michael Rynearson, Lewiston, Illinois, 444th Combat Support Chemical Company

SPRINGFIELD, IL (02/25/2015)(readMedia)-- MACOMB, Ill. - In the mid-morning hours a freight train carrying chemical agents passes through the sleepy college town of Macomb, Illinois. Without warning, near a railhead, the train derails sending three tanker cars full of potentially harmful sodium cyanide crashing to the earth. This scenario is the backdrop for Western Response 2015, a multi-agency exercise in Macomb, Illinois.

These are the situations the Illinois National Guard's 5th Civil Support Team (CST) trains for. The CST is a specified domestic operations unit comprised of highly trained Soldiers and Airmen that integrates with local authorities to respond to chemical, nuclear, biological, and radiological threats.

The goal for this exercise was to allow local first responders and authorities to establish an operations center and integrate state-level resources into response operations. Though Western Response was a smaller scale exercise involving the Macomb and Galesburg police and fire departments as well as the 5th CST, it was still valuable training.

Maj. Travis Humphrey of Washington, Illinois, 5th CST deputy commander, said he enjoyed the opportunity to work at the smaller scale.

"Typically, we exercise at a much larger level. It's planned and executed at the national level and when we get on scene, we speak to someone who's not usually a local," said Humphrey. "I like this because you get the National Incident Management System experience and you get to talk to the local guys who know the area and give good input on staging and integration."

Normally, local hazardous materials teams would respond to and contain an incident of this scale. The exercise had local first responders containing the incident and the 5th CST conducting decontamination operations.

Sgt. Andrea Boggs, of Springfield, Illinois, 5th CST human resources non-commissioned officer and decontamination team member, said she saw benefit in the exercise as well.

"This is a great exercise to get used to integrating and working with civilian agencies," said Boggs. "It allows us to train with local agencies and it allows them to see what's available to them in a real-world incident."

Maj. Marc Wright, of Peoria, Illinois, 5th CST commander, echoed the comments of his team members.

"Given the scale, it was a great opportunity for training and awareness for the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System and local departments," he said. "While local HAZMAT is fully capable of handling an incident of this magnitude, it's always good for them to get an idea of the state-level assets that are available to them in an incident."

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