Military personnel to urge more support for school transition

Lt. Governor Simon committee to hear recommendations for improvements

Lt. Governor Sheila Simon will discuss how schools treat children in military families with military school liaison officers on Wednesday during a quarterly meeting of the state's Interagency Military Base Support and Economic Development Committee in Springfield.

"Military families often are asked to move to a new state and we need to help them adjust to their new communities," Simon said. "This hearing will start a conversation on where Illinois schools are doing well, and where we could be more responsive to students."

The IMBSEDC hearing will feature a presentation by military school liaison officers regarding the Illinois Educational Opportunity for Military Children Act, which is modeled on the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunities for Military Children. Key education transition issues will be discussed, including how to strengthen school policies regarding enrollment, placement in classes and extracurricular activities, access to kindergarten, and graduation requirements.

Simon serves as the chair of the IMBSEDC which coordinates the state's activities and communications relating to current and former military bases in Illinois. Simon is committed to protecting the state's military operations, installations, and the families of those who selflessly serve our state and country.

EVENT: Interagency Military Base Support and Economic Development Committee Hearing 

DATE: Wednesday, Jan. 15

TIME: 1 p.m.
LOCATION: Lieutenant Governor's Capitol Office, State House, Room 214, Springfield

SPRINGFIELD, IL (01/06/2014)(readMedia)-- Two Illinois National Guard Soldiers were ordered to state active duty and another 13 Soldiers were put on stand-by shortly after midnight Jan. 6 to help clear stranded vehicles from Illinois' snow-covered highways.

Sgt. Brent Adkins of Mattoon with the 766th Engineer Battalion in Decatur and Sgt. Benjamin Greist of Mattoon assigned to Company B, 634th Brigade Support Battalion in Champaign, both Oshkosh HEMTT wrecker operators, assisted the Illinois Department of Transportation and Illinois State Police to pull three civilian vehicles and five semi tractor-trailers out of the snow and line of traffic between 2:30 and 7:30 a.m.

Adkins and Greist removed these stranded vehicles along the intersection of Interstate 57 and Interstate 70, which allowed an estimated 200 additional vehicles, which waited for the roads to be cleared for up to 9 hours, to continue to their destination.

Another four HEMTT wreckers and crew based in Springfield are on stand-by. Two Illinois National Guard helicopters with pilots and crew stood ready and remain on stand-by in the event aerial search and rescue is necessary.

All 15 Guardsmen are expected to return to normal duty later today. For more information contact the Illinois National Guard Public Affairs office at 217-761-3569.

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Annual Luncheon Hosted by Berwyn Veterans Honors Great Lakes Naval Base Servicemembers

BERWYN - Governor Pat Quinn spent Christmas Day with more than 100 servicemembers from the Great Lakes Naval Base at the City of Berwyn's eighth annual "Christmas Day with the Sailors." Governor Quinn was joined by Berwyn Mayor Robert Lovero for a traditional holiday meal and presented awards to those who made the event possible.

"On Christmas Day - and every day - let's keep our servicemembers and veterans in our hearts," Governor Quinn said. "These heroes have given us the greatest gift of all in the sacrifices they make for us every day, not the least of which is being apart from family for the holidays. I salute all of the veterans and community members who are here today, giving their time on Christmas to serve a hot meal to these servicemembers who will not be home for the holidays."

More than 100 sailors who could not go home are attending this year's "Christmas Day with the Sailors" event, which is hosted by local veterans who understand the sacrifices that servicemembers make. The event is supported by local charities and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and features lunch, dinner music and a visit from Santa. Members of the local JROTC did the honor of posting and retiring colors.

The Governor's Office has participated in "Christmas Day with the Sailors" every year since its inception, making this the eighth. Governor Quinn has made commitment to veterans, servicemembers and their families a top priority throughout his career. He led the Illinois Warrior Assistance Program that helps veterans transition back to their daily lives and the Welcome Home Heroes program which help supports Illinois servicemembers seeking home ownership.

As Lieutenant Governor, Quinn championed the Illinois Military Family Relief Fund Act, which established a fund to provide grants to families of Illinois National Guard members and Illinois residents serving in the U.S. Armed Forces Reserve components who are called to active duty. These grants help servicemembers and their families with the costs of food, housing, utilities and other expenses when the wage-earner has left civilian employment for active military duty. The fund has distributed more than $15.1 million to 29,625 Illinois military families to assist with the financial burden at home.

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

December 20, 2013

~ Bipartisan Military Whistleblower Protection Act will now go the President for his signature ~

WASHINGTON - Bipartisan legislation sponsored by Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA)  to strengthen military whistleblower protection laws to ensure those who report sexual assault and other misconduct are not further victimized by retaliation passed the Senate and will become law. The Military Whistleblower Protection Act was passed as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on a bipartisan 85-14 vote and will now go to the President for his signature. The Military Whistleblower Protection Act is supported by over 50 good government, public health and veterans organizations, including the Service Women's Action Network, and leading whistleblower protection organizations including the Project on Government Oversight and the Government Accountability Project.

"This legislation is an important first step toward better protecting our military men and women from misconduct, including sexual assault," Warner said. "The Military Whistleblower Protection Act will encourage our service members to report fraud, waste and abuse and provide them with the retaliation-free working environment they deserve. Virginia has a strong military tradition and I am proud that this legislation will now become law."

"Whistleblowers play a crucial role in Congressional efforts to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse and to help ensure the effectiveness of government programs.  They provide crucial information that Congress needs to conduct proper oversight of the federal government," said Collins.  "This amendment increases whistleblower protections for the military and encourages whistleblowers to report misconduct, especially as it relates to sexual assault. Our military men and women deserve a justice system that protects them while they serve our country."

"With passage of the Military Whistleblower Protection Act, victims and witnesses of sexual assault and other serious crimes will now be better protected from retaliation," said Kaine. "Too many incidents of sexual assault go unreported, and this bill works to change that by enhancing protections for whistleblowers and fostering a safer, more supportive environment for our service members. I was proud to sponsor this legislation and will continue to support measures that tackle the longstanding problem of sexual assault in the military."

"Military personnel have an unbelievably difficult time when blowing the whistle on misconduct, fraud or even sexual assault.  Too often, these complaints get tossed into the garbage for no good reason.  To make matters worse, retaliation seems to be the norm rather than the exception.  There's a lot left to be done in this area, but inclusion of the Military Whistleblower Protection Act in the Defense Reauthorization is a good step forward for whistleblowers," Grassley said.

The bipartisan Military Whistleblower Protection Act expands whistleblower protections to witnesses as well as victims, and ensures action is taken both to provide corrective relief to victims of retaliation and to discipline those who retaliate. It also extends the current 60-day period to file a report to one year, bringing it more in line with other federal and contractor whistleblowers who have longer reporting periods?often up to three years to report misconduct. Additionally it speeds up the process and ensures accountability by compelling the Service Secretary to take action within 30 days of receiving a report from an Inspector General, and requires that the investigations are conducted by an Inspector General at least one organization higher that the individuals' involved to prevent any conflicts of interest.  Finally, it requires the service branches to actively support those with confirmed cases of retaliation by ensuring that their military record is referred to the Board for Military Correction of Records and provides legal assistance to the victim, rather than the current policy of requiring victims to navigate that difficult process on their own.

Too often, the fear of retaliation deters service members from coming forward.  This legislation addresses that and encourages those who witness or were subject to sexual and other offenses to speak up.  A Government Accountability Office audit reported that more than 60% of service members who reported sexual assaults in 2012 experienced retaliation.  Less than 1% of whistleblowers who filed reprisal complaints obtained relief, and only 19% of those whom the Inspector Generals certified had experienced retaliation ever got their records corrected.   Additionally, a Pentagon study released in May 2013 and based on a confidential survey sent to more than 100,000 active-duty service members,  found as many as 26,000 members of the military experienced offenses ranging from sexual harassment to sexual assault last year. However, fewer than 3,400 individuals reported the incidents. The Department of Defense concluded most victims did not step forward because they worried about retaliation and believed that reporting the alleged offense would negatively impact their military careers.