Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack will kick off the August District Work Period by hosting two Veterans Roundtables in Burlington and Keokuk TODAY, MONDAY, August 5^th. These forums will give veterans and their families an opportunity to speak with Loebsack.  Staff will also be on hand for veterans to seek assistance if they are having issues with the Veterans Administration, or any Federal agency. Continuing his focus on Veterans, earlier this summer, Loebsack held roundtables in Oskaloosa, Ottumwa, Albia, Knoxville, Newton, Davenport and Clinton.  Veterans and media are invited to attend.

"As a military parent, I believe that we have no greater responsibility as a nation than to care for our veterans with the same dignity and honor with which they have served our country," said Loebsack.  "I look forward to this opportunity to speak directly with veterans and their families about issues that are important to them."

Veterans Roundtables- Monday, August 5

Burlington

1:15pm

Burlington Library

Meeting Room A

210 Court Street

Keokuk

4:30pm

Keokuk Library

210 North 5th Street

SPRINGFIELD, IL (08/01/2013)(readMedia)-- For the second consecutive year the Illinois Army National Guard's Recruit Sustainment Program (RSP) earned a top 10 ranking nationwide for the number of Soldiers who complete their initial entry training as honor graduates.

The RSP, created in 2004 by the National Guard Bureau, ensures Soldiers are physically, mentally and administratively prepared for the rigors of initial entry training.

In fiscal years 2012 and 2013 more than 12 percent of the Illinois Army National Guard recruits completed Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training as distinguished honor graduates and honor graduates.

"I look at the number of Soldiers graduating as either honor graduate or distinguished honor graduate as a reflection of the high quality of Soldiers that are being enlisted in the Illinois Army National Guard and the training we do at the RSP prior to Soldiers going to basic combat training," said Lt. Col. Mark Alessia of Sherman, commander the Illinois Army National Guard's Recruiting and Retention Command.

The RSP makes significant difference in the overall success of Soldiers, said Master Sgt. Allen Morris of Rochester, who has served with various RSP companies throughout the state since 2005 and now serves as the program's noncommissioned officer in charge.

"The training consists of a lot of basic Soldier tasks, such as rank structure, marching, learning the general orders and the Soldier's creed," said Morris. "But the big focus is on resiliency training."

Resiliency training is an Army program that gives Soldiers the skills needed to face challenges and bounce back from adversity.

Soldiers learn what to expect in basic combat training and advanced individual training and develop the skills to endure some of the hardships they may encounter during that, said Morris.

RSP training includes obstacle courses, tactical combat procedures and classroom instruction and learning tactical combat procedures.

"We like to leave a training weekend on a high note because when we do recruits want to come back and they want to do well," said Morris.

Morris said innovative training plays a large role in the continued success of the RSP.

"We're constantly working with the 13 companies in the RSP to find fresh ideas for training," he said. "A part of our state training meeting is an hour and a half block of new ideas that the first sergeants of these companies can see and say, 'Hey, I want to try that.'"

(DES MOINES) - Gov. Terry E. Branstad today has ordered all flags in Iowa be flown at half-staff from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Thursday, August 1, 2013, in honor of Iowa native, retired Col. George "Bud" Day.

Day's funeral will be on Thursday, August 1, 2013 in Shalimar, Florida and he will be buried at Barrancas National Cemetery at Pensacola Naval Air Station.

"Bud Day loved this country and its people, and we are all better off as a result of his service," said Gov. Branstad. "Bud Day was a hero to all, a friend to many and will be an inspiration to generations in the future. I hope all Iowans will join me in recognizing this man and his extraordinary, unique career and contributions to his country."

Col. George "Bud" Day, was born in Sioux City, Iowa on Feb. 24, 1925. He dropped out of high school in 1942 to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II and served in the Pacific theater. Following World War II, Day earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Morningside College and a law degree from the University of South Dakota. In 1950, Day received an officer's commission as a 2^nd Lt. in Company M, 133^rd Infantry Regiment, Iowa Army National Guard in Sioux City. He transferred to the U.S. Air Force Reserve in 1951, where he completed pilot training and entered the active duty U.S. Air Force for combat in the Korean War. Day remained on active duty with the Air Force following Korea and served in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War. While flying a combat mission over North Vietnam, Day was shot down Aug. 26, 1967, captured by the North Vietnamese Army and spent five and a half years as a prisoner of war. During his captivity in North Vietnam, Day and U.S. Sen. John McCain were cellmates at the Plantation and Hanoi Hilton prison camps. Day was released from captivity in March 1973 and retired from the U.S. Air Force in 1977.

Upon military retirement he moved to Florida, where he began a law practice that focused on advocating for veterans' issues. Over the course of his 35-year military career, Day earned more than 70 awards for combat, including the nation's highest award for valor, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in Vietnam. At the time of his death, Day was one of the nation's most highly-decorated service members.

"I was honored to call Bud a friend," said Gov. Branstad. "We had the opportunity to hunt together, even as recently as 2010, and I always enjoyed our time together. He will be missed."

Flags will be at half-staff on the State Capitol Building and on flag displays in the Capitol Complex, and upon all public buildings, grounds, and facilities throughout the state. Individuals, businesses, schools, municipalities, counties and other government subdivisions are encouraged to fly the flag at half-staff for the same length of time as a sign of respect.

SPRINGFIELD, IL (07/28/2013)(readMedia)-- Six Illinois National Guard Soldiers graduated the South Dakota Army National Guard's Accelerated Officer Candidate School July 26 at Mount Rushmore, S.D.

"The Accelerated Officer Candidate School is a high paced, intense officer training course, which takes enlisted Soldiers and shapes them into the commissioned leaders of tomorrow's National Guard," said Col. Tom Weiss of Sherman, the commander of the 129th Regiment, Regional Training Institute (RTI) in Springfield, Ill. "Each of these Soldiers have proved themselves ready to be part of the next generation of leaders in the Illinois Army National Guard."

Officer Candidates Dustin Anderson of Preemption, Robert Boney of Columbia, Amanda Bruni of Troy, Jonathan Logemann of Chicago, Jonathan Miller of Chicago and Garrett Nevious of Marion were selected to attend the accelerated class in South Dakota through the Illinois National Guard's Pre-Officer Candidate School program at the 129th Regiment, Regional Training Institute (RTI) in Springfield, Ill.

The graduates were among 52 officer candidates from nearly 20 states and the U.S. territory of Guam hoping to earn a commission in the Army National Guard Officer Corps.

The six graduates will be among the 34 Illinois Army National Guard officer candidates from this year's accelerated and traditional OCS classes to become second lieutenants at the 129th RTI's officer commissioning ceremony to be held Aug. 25 at the Springfield High School in Springfield, Ill.

The accelerated OCS program is an eight-week fulltime training program where as the traditional OCS program is a one-weekend-a-month for 18 months program plus two, two-week long training sessions.

The Illinois National Guard's OCS program has commissioned nearly 140 officers since 2010.