SPRINGFIELD, IL (05/15/2013)(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) A10 will be May 16 at 10:30 a.m. Camp Lincoln, 1301 N. MacArthur Blvd. in Springfield.

The BEST A10 Soldiers were mobilized in August 2012. They trained for a brief time at Camp Atterbury, Ind., before deploying to Poland for approximately two months to train with the Polish Land Forces 12th Mechanized Brigade. The unique mission allowed Illinois Army National Guard Soldiers to train and deploy side-by-side with their Polish counterparts. Following the training, the Soldiers deployed to Afghanistan for seven months. Soldiers are from various parts of Illinois and were selected for the mission based on their training and skills.

The team was part of Task Force White Eagle XII, which included more than 2,500 Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines from the U.S. and Poland. The task force was assigned two missions in preparation for the drawdown of coalition forces in 2014. The primary mission was to develop the Afghan Soldiers and Afghan law enforcement personnel to provide their citizens with civil and national security. Secondly, the combined U.S./Polish Task Force was tasked with transporting 10 years of war material out of their assigned area of responsibility as a key component of the eventual drawdown.

Task Force White Eagle/BEST A10 completed more than 1,600 tactical operations that ranged from clearing the roads of improvised explosive devices (IED) and humanitarian aid to neutralizing high-profile insurgent leadership. These operations resulted in finding and clearing 34 IEDs and 21 former Soviet high-explosive munitions. The Soldiers of the task force uncovered 35 insurgent weapons cache's that housed over a ton of various caliber weapon ammunition, 30 semi/automatic weapons and more than 45,000 pounds of homemade explosives. Task Force White Eagle was engaged in more than 300 firefights and five IED strikes. The combined efforts of the Polish Soldiers and Illinois Guardsmen yielded the capture of more than 80 insurgents, which included more than one dozen high-profile insurgent leaders.

Task Force White Eagle also transferred one base and one combat outpost to the Afghan government. The Afghan Ministry of Higher Education is in the process of making one of the former coalition bases into the new home of Ghazni University.

"The transfer of these facilities demonstrates the Afghan's increasing capability to protect their civilians and communities, sustain law enforcement and combat operations, and maintain critical local and regional infrastructure," said BEST A10 Commander Col. Michael Zerbonia of Chatham.

SPRINGFIELD, IL (05/14/2013)(readMedia)-- The Illinois Army National Guard is among the nation's leaders taking advantage of a U. S. Military Academy at West Point program that sets aside 85 appointments to the academy for enlisted Army National Guard or Army Reserve Soldiers.

At least five Illinois National Guard Soldiers have secured seats at West Point, with a sixth Soldier, Pfc. Jacob Weiss of Sherman, receiving a Congressional appointment to the academy. This currently ties the Illinois Army National Guard with the Georgia Army National Guard for the most appointments to West Point this year, said Lt. Col. Mark Alessia, of Sherman, the Recruiting and Retention Commander for the Illinois Army National Guard.

"We look at this as a short-term loss, but a long-term gain," Alessia said. "It is a loss because the Illinois National Guard is giving up outstanding enlisted Soldiers to the academy and the active Army, but it is a gain because these same individuals will represent the National Guard, throughout their military career."

Other West Point graduates may learn about the Illinois Army National Guard through these officers as well.

The program, dubbed "Operation Opportunity," recognizes "outstanding junior enlisted Soldiers who demonstrate the ideals and values of the Corps of Cadets - Duty, Honor, and Country," according to Lt. Col. Mark A. Boettcher, the Chief of the Army National Guard's Strength Maintenance Division.

To be eligible for the program, a Soldier must be a U.S. citizen, at least 17 years old, no older than 22 years old on July 1, 2014, unmarried, and have no legal obligation to support a dependent. The Soldier must also be a high school graduate or pass the General Educational Development test, be eligible for re-enlistment, have completed basic combat training and be recommended by his or her company commander. The student must have SAT scores of 500 or higher or ACT scores of 20 or higher.

West Point is among the nation's top institutions producing more Rhodes Scholars than any other college or university in the country except Harvard, Princeton and Yale. It has produced more winners of the Hertz Fellowship than all other schools except Stanford and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. But unlike those other prestigious institutions, the U.S. Army pays for all tuition, room, board, books, uniforms, medical and dental care, training costs and pay for its West Point cadets. A West Point education is valued at more than $300,000.

Operation Opportunity is particularly valuable because it exponentially increases a Soldier's chances of acceptance to West Point. Each year, West Point receives some 12,000 applications. Only about 1,200 are accepted, including those 85 slots set aside for National Guard or Reserve Soldiers. Soldiers meeting the eligibility requirements may start the initial application by going online at www.usma.edu/applynow.

CHAMPAIGN, IL (05/10/2013)(readMedia)-- Today the U.S. military honors those who do not wear the uniform but who stand beside their servicemembers everyday: military spouses. May 10, Military Spouse Appreciation Day, was established by Ronald Reagan in 1984 and is celebrated the Friday before Mother's Day each year.

Sgt. 1st Class Sean P. Broderick said his wife, Donna K. Broderick, both of Fisher, has proven herself as a spouse who goes above and beyond to make her husband's service to his country possible. Broderick, along with his daughter, Pfc. Kierstin M. Broderick of Urbana both serve in Company B, 634th Brigade Support Battalion in Champaign.

Just four months after they married, Sean deployed to Afghanistan with the 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team in 2008. Donna was left to run the house and take care of their now combined five children.

"I thought deployment, from my perspective, was harder on my wife than it was on me," said Broderick.

Despite the family dynamics, deployment and any other stressors, Sean said Donna held the family together while he was overseas.

"She's pretty awesome," said Sean. "For someone who has never dealt with anything like a deployment, she really held it together. I was really impressed with how she held herself together and dealt with everything."

Donna said the family transition and the deployment was difficult at first, but over time she adapted.

"It was hard enough with our family dynamics because we were combining families, trying to find boundaries with the older kids, working, not knowing what (Sean) was getting himself into, especially after what happened in Iraq in 2005," said Donna.

Sean, a purple heart recipient, was injured in a rocket attack during the 2005 deployment that put him in the hospital for several months.

Donna took on even more responsibility when she took charge of the Family Readiness Group (FRG) just five months ago after the previous leader abruptly stepped down.

"The FRG was so helpful while our Soldiers were gone," said Donna. "It's not like being at a normal military base where your neighbors have Soldiers deployed. You're kind of out there on your own."

Although Military Spouse Appreciation Day has been around for nearly three decades, many servicemembers are not aware of its existence.

"I think it's incredible," said 2nd Lt. Anastasia M. Flanagan of Danville, acting commander of Co. B, 634th BSB. "I think military spouses, especially on the Guard side, are often overlooked. I think this is an excellent program to get the word out that as an Army, in the National Guard, we do appreciate our spouses and we do think they are an invaluable members of the team."

Donna has made progress to improve the FRG after only five months in the leadership role.

"I was immediately impressed with how she brings her ideas into the FRG meetings and is working outside of the two hours that we have our meetings," said Flanagan. "She's working toward trying to have our meetings run efficiently and bring new and fresh ideas. That's been incredible."

Donna is just one of hundreds of thousands of military spouses being honored on Military Spouse Appreciation Day. But to one unit, one husband, and five children, she's invaluable.

SPRINGFIELD, IL (05/08/2013)(readMedia)-- The Illinois National Guard will celebrate its 290th birthday. The Illinois National Guard Command Historian, Adriana Schroeder of Springfield recently discovered evidence of the first muster of militia, the precursor to the Illinois National Guard. Re-enactor in period uniforms will demonstrate equipment and weapons from the 1700s and an official proclamation signed by Gov. Pat Quinn will be read during the ceremony.

WHO:

• Brig. Gen. William Cobetto, Assistant Adjutant General -Air

• Illinois National Guard Soldiers and Airmen

• Illinois National Guard and Militia Historical Society Living History Detachment

• School Children from throughout Sangamon County

WHAT:

• The Illinois National Guard will celebrate its 290th birthday.

• The birth date of the Illinois National Guard, May 9, 1723 was determined last year after months of research by Adriana Schroeder of Springfield, the Illinois National Guard Command Historian.

• An official proclamation of the birthday, signed by Gov. Pat Quinn, will be read during the ceremony.

• Re-enactors from the Illinois National Guard and Militia Historical Society's Living History Detachment in period uniforms will display uniforms, equipment and weapon from the 1700s.

WHEN: Thursday May 09, 2013 at 01:00PM Central Time (US & Canada)

WHERE:Illinois State Military Museum
1301 N. MacArthur Blvd
Springfield, Illinois 62702