SPRINGFIELD, IL (12/26/2012)(readMedia)-- Col. Robert J. Mayberry Jr., of St. Charles, Mo., will retire from the Illinois National Guard on his 60th birthday, Jan. 2, 2013.

"It's natural for me to be in the service," said Mayberry. "My dad led the way and I appreciate what I've been able to do and where I've been placed."

Mayberry followed in a long line of family members serving in the military, but only he and his father made a career of it.

After moving every couple of years growing up with his father in the Air Force, Mayberry enlisted in the active Army in 1972 as a wheel and track mechanic and was stationed in Kitzgingen, Germany. After serving four years he returned to Illinois and started a brake and front end alignment business, where he worked until he joined the Illinois National Guard in 1982.

"He doesn't mind getting his hands dirty and doing some heavy lifting," said Col. Fred W. Allen of Delavan, Illinois Army National Guard chief of staff. "He is a common sensed, hard working, outspoken officer and because of those qualities this organization is better."

Mayberry was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1985 through the Illinois Military Academy Officer Candidate School. In 1989 he accepted a federal technician position with the Illinois National Guard surface maintenance shop and has continued to serve the maintenance community ever since.

"He is one of the most dedicated and passionate guys I have worked with in the Illinois National Guard," said Col. Eric K. Little of Springfield, deputy United States Property and Fiscal officer. "He set the standard for field maintenance shops. He equipped them to be stand-alone units that have their own property and tools that stay even during mobilization."

Having a dual-status position, Mayberry's first command position was with the 1244th Transportation Company in Cairo. After that, he held battalion commands with the 733rd Quartermaster Battalion and the 65th Troop Command Battalion.

"I had great mentors who gave me good guidance," said Mayberry. "I've been lucky to have really good people around me the whole time."

Mayberry deployed to Iraq twice. From 2005 to 2006 he deployed as the deputy director of logistics maintenance in Diwaniyah, Iraq with the Multi - National Division, which comprised of 18 countries. He deployed again from 2007 to 2009 as the commander of the Tallil Logistics Military Advisor Team in the 10th Iraq Army Division in Ur, Iraqi.

One thing Mayberry said he learned from his combat experience is to trust the training.

"Pay attention to the training you receive throughout the year," he said. "When faced with a scary situation, you don't think, you just do it and that training is very valuable."

Along with overseas deployments, Mayberry worked many state active duty missions throughout Illinois. From flood duty to winter storms, he advised the Adjutant General on logistical requirements, supporting procedures and accountability.

"I have loved this job the entire time I have been here," he said.

Mayberry celebrated his retirement with friends and family at the Field Maintenance Shop on Camp Lincoln in Springfield, Dec. 8.

Looking into retirement, he said he plans to work with Habitat for Humanity and organizations to prevent suicide. He also plans to fish and work on his antique vehicles while spending time with his family.

Program Helps Injured Troops Overseas Connect with Family

CHICAGO - December 23, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today joined United Airlines to encourage people across Illinois to help injured servicemembers overseas connect with their families this holiday season through Operation Hero Miles. This program helps wounded or ill overseas servicemembers and their families visit each other without having to worry about the financial burden of airfare.

"There's no better cure than the care and support of loved ones," Governor Quinn said. "Operation Hero Miles gives our Wounded Warriors a chance to be with family and friends while they heal and undergo medical treatment. I encourage people throughout Illinois and across the country to donate their frequent flyer miles to this program and help Wounded Warriors connect with their families this holiday season."

Administered by the Fisher House Foundation, Operation Hero Miles uses donated frequent flyer miles to provide free round-trip airline tickets to military families flying overseas to visit a servicemember receiving medical treatment. The program also enables wounded or ill servicemembers with approved leave to fly home at no cost. To date, Operation Hero Miles has issued more than 34,000 donated tickets, saving servicemembers and their families nearly $54 million. To donate airline miles, visit www.fisherhouse.org.

The governor recently returned from his eighth annual trip to visit servicemembers receiving treatment at Landstuhl Medical Center in Germany, bringing holiday cards made by children in Illinois with him.

Governor Quinn has made commitment to veterans, servicemembers and their families a top priority throughout his career in public service. He has led programs including the Illinois Warrior Assistance Program and the Veterans Cash lottery ticket, which has awarded more than $10 million to non-profit organizations across the state that provide health care and post-traumatic stress disorder treatment, housing assistance, disability benefits and other services to Illinois' veterans.

As Lieutenant Governor, 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 were called to active duty as a result of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. These grants help service members and their families with the costs of food, housing, utilities, medical services and other expenses they struggle to afford because a wage-earner has temporarily left civilian employment to be placed on active military duty. The fund has distributed more than $14.5 million to over 27,200 Illinois military families to assist with the financial burden at home when a loved one is deployed overseas.

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

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Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack released the following statement after the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was voted on by the House of Representatives.  Loebsack authored a bipartisan amendment that blocked retirement of the Iowa National Guard's 132nd Fighter Wing in the House-passed version of the bill and fought against allowing the proposed cuts to move forward in the final bill. For the first time, Loebsack did not sign the conference report and opposed passage of the bill. Click here to view Loebsack's floor speech.

"The men and women of the 132nd have fought for our nation time and again and are one of the most experienced and cost-effective units in the country.  When the Pentagon initially announced their short-sighted plan to retire the F-16s, I spearheaded the bipartisan effort to stop it because they could not demonstrate why it was a good deal for taxpayers or our national security. They still have not provided that justification.  I strongly opposed this decision and therefore could not support the bill.

"I am also strongly opposed to a provision that would affect the Pentagon's civilian workforce, possibly including positions such as those at Rock Island Arsenal.  The men and women at Rock Island Arsenal work every day in support of our troops and make essential and cost-effective contributions to our national security.  While savings and efficiencies can be found in the defense budget, arbitrary reductions without strategy or analysis, like what this proposal calls for, undermines national security efforts like those at Rock Island Arsenal and hurts good jobs and the local economy in the Quad Cities.

"While I cannot support the underlying bill because of these misguided proposals, I am proud to have worked to include many provisions that will support our military families, National Guard and Reserve, and the Rock Island Arsenal."

Specific Loebsack initiatives in the bill include :

Stops BRAC

• Congressman Loebsack fought against the approval of new BRAC rounds since the proposal was first announced.  The final bill prevents DOD from carrying out new BRAC rounds.

Rock Island Arsenal Workload

• Congressmen Loebsack worked to include language that directs DOD to identify the critical manufacturing capabilities provided by arsenals and determine the amount of work that is required to maintain them in peacetime which will be incorporated into a national security strategy for our industrial base.  It also requires the creation of a strategic workload plan to maintain arsenals' critical capabilities.

Housing Benefits Fix for National Guard

• Also included in the NDAA, was Loebsack's legislation that prohibits reductions in the rate of Basic Allowance for Housing for members of the National Guard who transition from full time National Guard duty to active duty or from active duty to full time National Guard duty. Under current policy, some National Guardsmen who make this transition see their benefits reduced at a time when they and their families can least afford it because of a policy that changes how their benefits are calculated.  This issue was raised with Loebsack by the Iowa National Guard Officers and Enlisted Associations and he acted to fix it.

National Guard Counterdrug Schools

• The legislation reauthorizes the National Guard Counterdrug Schools like the Iowa Guard runs at Camp Dodge (the Midwest Counterdrug Training Center). The Center provides critical training to local law enforcement from across Iowa and the country to help keep drugs off of our streets.

Travel Benefits for National Guard and Reserve Retirees

• The legislation includes a provision similar to bipartisan legislation Loebsack co-introduced to allow expansion of full Space Available travel benefits on military aircraft to "gray area" retirees (National Guard members or Reservists who are eligible for retirement but under the age of 60) and surviving spouses. This issue was also raised with Loebsack by the Iowa National Guard Officers and Enlisted Associations, and Loebsack has worked on a bipartisan basis to provide these benefits.

Pay Raise for troops

• As a member of the Military Personnel Subcommittee, Loebsack worked to provide a 1.7 percent pay increase in pay for our troops.

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