SPRINGFIELD, IL (12/18/2014)(readMedia)-- Approximately 20 Illinois Army National Guard Soldiers who served in Afghanistan will return to Illinois this week. The homecoming ceremony for the Bilateral Embedded Staff Team (BEST) A13 will be December 19 at approximately 12:30 p.m.at Camp Lincoln in Springfield.

The BEST A13 Soldiers were mobilized in April and deployed to Afghanistan.

The team trained with the Polish Land Forces before deploying. 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 had a state partnership with Poland since 1993 and has deployed side-by-side with Polish Forces for more than 20 years.

For more information call the Public Affairs Office at 217-761-3569.

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Invites the Public to Drop Off Winter Clothing, Canned Food and Personal Items at State Facilities in Five Cities from Dec. 1-19

CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today launched the Warm Our Heroes holiday collection drive for Illinois veterans and their families and invited people across the state to support this important cause. In five cities across Illinois, state facilities will accept public donations of winter clothing, non-perishable food and personal items until Dec. 19. The Warm Our Heroes drive is part of Governor Quinn's agenda to honor and support the men and women who have served our country and maintain Illinois' status as the most veteran-friendly state in the nation.

"We need to always take care of those who have borne the battle, especially during the holiday season," Governor Quinn said. "Warm Our Heroes supports our veterans and their families and I encourage everyone to take a minute to give back to those who have sacrificed so much."

Warm Our Heroes was launched by the Governor in 2012 as a state employee initiative to provide much-needed items to Illinois veterans in need. In its first year, state employees collected more than 3,500 donations which were distributed to veterans' organizations across the state. This year the Governor expanded the program to allow the public to participate.

Warm Our Heroes will collect warm winter clothing, dry and canned food and personal items such as toothpaste and soap to give to community veterans organizations and VA hospitals. The donation drop-off sites include :

·         The E.J. Giorgi Center - 200 S. Wyman, Rockford, 61101

·         Illinois State Capital - 401 S. 2nd Street or 207 State House, Springfield, 62706

·         James R. Thompson Center - 100 W. Randolph St., Chicago, 60601

·         Kenneth Hall State Regional Office Building - 10 Collinsville Ave., East St. Louis, 62201

·         Marion Regional Office Building - 2309 W. Main St., Marion, 62959

In addition, Illinois Department of Transportation district headquarters offices are accepting Warm Our Heroes donations.  These include :

·         201 W. Center Court, Schaumburg, 60196

·         819 Depot Avenue, Dixon, 61021

·         700 E. Norris Dr., Ottawa, 61305

·         401 Main St., Peoria, 61602

·         13473 Illinois Highway 133, Paris, 61944

·         2300 S. Dirksen Pkwy, Springfield, 62703

·         400 W. Wabash, Effingham, 62401

·         1102 Eastport Plaza Dr., Collinsville, 62234

·         2801 W. Murphysboro Rd.,Carbondale, 62901

For more information visit Illinois.gov/WarmOurHeroes.

Throughout his career in public service, Governor Quinn has been committed to Illinois veterans, servicemembers and their families. In 2009, Governor Quinn became the first Governor in Illinois history to dedicate state capital dollars to supportive housing for veterans. In 2011, when soldiers began returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, Governor Quinn launched Welcome Home Heroes to help these brave men and women resettle and become homeowners, helping more than 1,600 veterans and active military men and women to date.

As Lieutenant Governor, Governor Quinn championed the Illinois Military Family Relief Fund Act, which established a voluntary fund to provide grants to families of Illinois National Guard members and Illinois residents serving in the U.S. Armed Forces Reserve called to active duty. These grants help with the costs of food, housing, utilities, medical services and other expenses they struggle to afford because of the disparity between military and civilian pay. The fund has distributed more than $15.1 million to 29,625 Illinois military families.

Other programs championed by Governor Quinn include the Illinois Warrior Assistance Program that helps veterans transition back to their daily lives and the Veterans Cash instant lottery program with all proceeds going to benefit Illinois veterans' organizations.

For more information about these and other programs for our veterans, visit OperationHomefront.org/ or call the IDVA at (217) 782-6641 or (312) 814-2460.

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You are cordially invited to attend a Community Town Hall Meeting at:

December 11, 2014   10:00 - 11:30 a.m.

Coralville Public Library - Schwab Room

1401 5th St, Coralville, IA 52241 

Open to all Veterans, their families and caregivers as well as to members of Congressional Offices, Veteran Service Organizations, and Media.

'Listening Sessions' Aim to Seek Feedback, Improve VA System

IOWA CITY - Senior leaders from the Iowa City VA Health Care System and the Veterans Benefits Administration Regional Office will hold a Veterans' Town Hall from 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. on Dec 11 at the Coralville Public Library Schwab Room, in Coralville, IA.

The town hall is designed to gain open and honest feedback from Veterans, their family members and other beneficiaries. VA also welcomes input from congressional stakeholders, Veteran service organizations, nongovernmental organizations and other community partners.

VA facilities around the country are holding town hall meetings on a quarterly basis "to improve communication with, and hear directly from, Veterans nationwide." "Caring for Veterans is a calling, and our first commitment is to provide Veterans and their families the timely, quality care and benefits they have earned and deserve through their service to our Nation," said VA Secretary Robert McDonald. "As we seek continual improvement and to rebuild trust among Veterans, it is critical that we continue to listen and learn directly from those who use our system."

The library is located at: 1401 5th St, Coralville, IA 52241