SPRINGFIELD, IL (05/06/2013)(readMedia)-- Two events to honor fallen servicemembers and recognize their families for their sacrifice were held at Camp Lincoln in Springfield May 4. The Fallen Heroes Memorial Ceremony honored fallen servicemembers and Connections in the Capital focused on fallen servicemembers' surviving family and friends.

The Illinois National Guard hosted these separate events in an effort to convey both sympathy for the losses military families have endured and facilitate their ability to carry on.

The Illinois National Guard Fallen Heroes Memorial Ceremony paid homage to 34 Illinois National Guard members who have made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom and way of life after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Alternatively, Connections focused on coping with loss and facilitating relationships between servicemembers' surviving family and friends.

Brig. Gen. Daniel Krumrei of Springfield, the Adjutant General of the Illinois National Guard, attended both ceremonies, welcoming families to the installation and thanking them for their sacrifices.

"On behalf of Governor Quinn, on behalf of the Soldiers, Airmen, families, myself and my staff, welcome and I pray you peace in your journey of healing," said Krumrei.

Krumrei laid a wreath at the Fallen Soldiers Memorial Ceremony and offered all of Camp Lincoln's resources to the families of fallen servicemembers.

During the ceremony the names of lost Illinois Army and Air National Guardsmen were read aloud and a wreath and rose laying ceremony took place shortly after the reading.

"Every day is a memorial day for us so it does bring back some of the pain, but knowing that the Guard still remembers them and honors them warms our hearts and gives us great hope that they will never be forgotten," said Linda Grieco of Winfield, the mother of Staff Sgt. Kevin D. Grieco who was killed in action during Operation Enduring Freedom Oct. 27, 2008.

Illinois Connections for Families of the Fallen is a less somber occasion, designed initially from feedback of surviving family members after attending events like the Fallen Heroes Memorial Ceremony, in that they had felt alone in dealing with the emotions that arose during those services.

"I think one of the great ideas of Connections is that we all get to meet each other. We get to share our experiences. We get to share our laughter and we get to share our tears together," said Jim Frazier of Woodstock, whose son, Illinois Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Jacob Frazier was killed in Operation Enduring Freedom March 29, 2003.

Connections brings together a myriad of local and national organizations whose mission is to connect families of the fallen servicemembers to resources to help find their new normal.

Krumrei summed up the day's events with quotes from Abraham Lincoln who famously declared those who died in the service of their nation should be remembered and should never die in vain.

"I offer you (the) hope and promise that the understanding that a new normal is never normal, but it can be better than what was," Krumrei said.

For video go to:

http://www.dvidshub.net/video/289153/fallen-soldier-memorial-ceremony-and-connections-capitol-b-roll-package

MARSEILLES, IL (04/26/2013)(readMedia)-- Story by Capt. Dustin Cammack, Illinois National Guard Public Affairs

Members from Save Our American Raptors, Inc. (SOAR) gave a wildlife presentation to Illinois National Guard Soldiers and staff at the Illinois National Guard Marseilles Training Center (MTC) April 24.

The intent of SOARs visit was to educate and train MTC personnel on the importance of raptors in the local habitat and what to do if an injured or sick raptor is found.

"I asked SOAR to come to help educate the Soldiers here at MTC," said Sgt. Maj. Timothy Forest of Marseilles, MTC security manager and falconry apprentice. "So when my range control people find a downed raptor, they will not necessarily be afraid of it. This will give them an opportunity to identify it, rescue it and possibly reintroduce it back into the wild."

Save Our American Raptors, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization created in 1989 with the sole purpose of rehabilitating sick and injured raptors and releasing them back into the wild, said George Richter, founder of SOAR.

"We are here today to talk to people about how to handle sick and injured raptors and who to call. With windmills and other hazards out there, there is a good chance if people start looking for sick and injured birds, they will find them," said Richter.

The Soldiers saw the value of the presentation.

"We had a lot of our range control personnel in here," said Spc. Alicia Gutierrez of Streater, MTC scheduling technician. "With spring here the birds might fall out of their nests, and it will be good for Soldiers to know what to look for and who to call."

The Marseilles Training Center is home to several species of raptor to include the red tailed hawk, great horned owl, screech owl, Cooper's hawk, barn owl, and the rare long eared owl, said Forest. "I alone have seen 16 red tailed hawks here at MTC. We have a substantial population."

Acquisition and development of the 2,552-acre training center was a direct result of compatible needs of the State of Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and the Department of Military Affairs of Illinois (DMAIL).

"It's about sustainability of the habitat and the ecology," said Jason McNamara of Marseilles, MTC natural recourses manager. "Raptors play a vital role in the food chain - just like the other species do in our training area - and awareness of those species for the Soldiers is just as important to the ongoing health of the environment."

For more on the Illinois National Guard Marseilles Training Center, visit http://www.il.ngb.army.mil/departments/mtc/.

For more on SOAR, visit http://www.soar-inc.org/.

This week, I had the privilege to welcome members of the Eastern Iowa Honor Flight to our nation's capital.  Honor Flights bring World War II and Korean War Veterans to Washington to visit the Memorials that were built in their honor.  Take a minute to watch a quick video I made after their visit.

CLICK THE VIDEO TO WATCH!

As you can see from the video, it was a beautiful day for the vets to come to Washington and be honored for their service.  Welcoming these servicemembers is one of my favorite things to do.  As a token of my appreciation, I presented them each with a copy of the official Congressional Record statement that I made to recognize this trip and their service.  I also gave each of them a copy of the Constitution.

As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I have worked to improve care and benefits for our servicemembers and veterans, including expanding Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits for the National Guard; expanding access to mental health care; helping our veterans find civilian jobs; and opening new Community Based Outpatient Clinics to improve access to VA services for Iowa veterans.  I also recently co-introduced bipartisan legislation to eliminate the waiting period for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits for servicemembers wounded in combat.

Click here to watch the video!

We cannot thank our servicemembers and veterans enough for their service to our nation.  Honor Flights are an incredible statement of support for our World War II and Korean War Veterans, and I was honored and humbled to join our Iowa Veterans at the World War II Memorial.

Sincerely,

Dave Loebsack
Iowa's Second District

Hope Manor II Apartments will Connect Residents with Services Needed to Live Independently

CHICAGO - Governor Quinn today was joined by the Volunteers of America of Illinois to break ground on the Hope Manor II Apartments - one of the first large-scale housing developments in the nation designed to address the needs of Veterans with families at risk of homelessness. This announcement is part of Governor Quinn's agenda to make Illinois the most Veterans-friendly state in the nation and ensure servicemembers have the support they need when they return home

"We have a duty to provide Illinois Veterans with the support they deserve after serving our country," Governor Quinn said. "Veterans often return to a unique set of challenges during the transition to civilian life, and this new community will address their family needs during this time. We must always take care of our Veterans on the home front, just as they have taken care of us."

Under Governor Quinn's leadership, the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) provided an $800,000 loan to finance the development located at 60th and Halsted streets in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood. The campus-style community will feature a mix of single-family town homes and apartments built around a park, all located on a three-acre site donated by the city of Chicago.

Developed by the Volunteers of America, Hope Manor II Apartments also received a $190,000 Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) grant, as well as a $1.9 million federal HOME Investment Partnerships Program loan and a $3 million tax-increment financing grant from the city of Chicago. Alderman JoAnn Thomson of the 16th Ward donated the property to build Hope Manor II.

"We are so excited to once again partner with IHDA to bring an important resource to our nation's Veterans," Volunteers of America of Illinois President & CEO Nancy Hughes Moyer said. "Hope Manor II will serve an increasingly vulnerable population of Veterans - younger Veterans with families, many of whom are women with young children. These brave young men and women have sacrificed a great deal to serve our country and they deserve a safe and affordable place to call home when they return. Hope Manor II will provide our Veterans with the stability and support they need to successfully reintegrate back into civilian life."

The new community will provide 73 units of permanent supportive housing in studio, one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments. Residents will have access to employment readiness classes, job training and coaching, computer training, a business resource center, a health and wellness center, peer support groups, recovery groups, individual and family counseling, mental health screening, case management support, and access to the Volunteers of America of Illinois' True North Project which aids Veterans who are struggling, in crisis or at risk of serious instability in their lives.

The development is the second phase of the Volunteers of America's Hope Manor Project. IHDA was proud to provide federal stimulus funds and federal tax credit financing for Hope Manor Apartments, which celebrated its grand opening in May 2012 in East Garfield Park. Hope Manor provides housing and services to single Veterans. A community to serve families is the appropriate next step.

An estimated 1,147 Veterans experienced homelessness on a given night in Illinois in 2012, or 15 percent of all Veterans in the general population, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness. Women Veterans are the fastest growing demographic in the Veteran community in Illinois and many face significant obstacles upon their return to civilian life. They are often younger than their male colleagues, have different healthcare needs, face the highest rate of unemployment in the Veteran population, and access Veteran services and resources less often.

Under Governor Quinn's leadership, Illinois has responded to the need for affordable housing and supportive services. Approximately 1,800 community-based supportive housing units have been financed across Illinois since 2009. IHDA financed 466 units of safe, affordable housing and 289 supportive housing units specifically targeted to Veterans in that same timeframe.

The first phase of construction is scheduled to be complete by the end of 2013, with a final completion date of June 2014. To qualify, residents must be at or below 60 percent of the area median income, or $35,340 for a two-person household. All 73 units will be supported by project-based vouchers from the Chicago Housing Authority.

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