Hometown Military News: May 8, 2015
Illinois National Guard participates in commemoration of President Lincoln
By Staff Sgt. Robert R. Adams, Illinois National Guard, Public Affairs
SPRINGFIELD – Gov. Bruce Rauner, Maj. Gen. Daniel Krumrei, The Adjutant General of the Illinois National Guard and members from the Illinois Air National Guard, Illinois Army National Guard and the Lincoln’s Challenge Academy all played a role in the Abraham Lincoln Funeral Re-Enactment Events May 2 in Springfield,
Two Airmen from the 183rd Air Refueling Wing and two Soldiers from the 233rd Military Police Company, both units based in Springfield, provided a color guard detail posting the colors during the opening ceremony.
Over 12,000 re-enactors along with 17 partnering organizations and a few thousand spectators were present at the ceremony.
Rauner delivered a speech to paying tribute Lincoln as people crowded around to see Lincoln’s casket during the opening ceremony downtown Springfield. Rauner said the event was a great opportunity for everyone to listen and learn about our fallen hero.
Krumrei spoke of Lincoln’s service in the Illinois Militia during the Black Hawk War and said the very image of Lincoln is a symbol of freedom. The Illinois Militia is now known as the Illinois National Guard.
“Lincoln did not aspire to be an icon,” said Krumrei. “He was a man of the people…a man for the people. A man elected…by the people…to do a job and was determined to succeed.”
The event concluded with the exchange of gifts honoring Lincoln’s memory including Rauner presenting the flag that was draped over Lincoln’s coffin during the re-enactment to Krumrei to be place in the Illinois State Military Museum on Camp Lincoln.
In addition to the opening ceremony, other events went on honoring Lincoln gathering more crowds of people eager to listen to the history behind the iconic leader. Members of the 144th Army Band played military songs for people at a church in downtown Springfield while members of the Lincoln’s Challenge Academy out of Rantoul, Illinois served as volunteers for the encampment activities in Lincoln Park.
“It was a wonderful event and a great outpouring of love and emotion for our greatest Illinoisan, Abraham Lincoln,” said Rauner.
ILNG Gold Star families honored at remembrance ceremony on Camp Lincoln
SPRINGFIELD – Gov. Bruce Rauner, Maj. Gen. Daniel Krumrei, the Adjutant General for the Illinois National Guard, other senior leaders and Soldiers gathered with the Gold Star Families at the Fallen Heroes Memorial May 3 at the Illinois State Military Museum on Camp Lincoln, Springfield.
Thirty-four Illinois National Guardsmen, 1 Airmen and 33 Soldiers, killed during Operation Iraqi and Operation Enduring Freedom. Rauner said these guardsmen are our heroes.
“We all owe these brave men and women a great debt of graduate for their sacrifices,” said Rauner. “It is a privilege to be here today to remember them, to honor them and to pay
tribute.”
Krumrei placed a wreath at the memorial on behalf of the Illinois National Guard while all Soldiers present rendered a salute honoring the fallen guardsmen.
“We have held this ceremony each year to honor these guardsmen and we will continue to do so in the future,” said Krumrei. “These families will never forget their loved ones and we as the Illinois National Guard will never forget them.”
The ceremony ended with the families placing a yellow rose at the base of the memorial and Rauner greeting each family member to offer his condolences.
Chicago and Springfield specialized Illinois Guard units perform joint pre-mobilization training
MARSEILLES – A convoy of humvees rolling down the street suddenly comes to a screeching halt. A group of Soldiers jump out with weapons in hand, their eyes glued to a suspicious object in the middle of the road. Someone yells, “Wires! Wires! Wires!,” and the entire group falls back to their vehicles to take precautionary measures and await further instructions.
Illinois National Guard Soldiers with C Co., 2-135th Medical Evacuation Aviation based in Chicago, deploying to Kuwait, along with the Bilateral Embedded Staff Team (BEST A15) deploying to Afghanistan, the 233rd Military Police Company (MP Co.) deploying to the Middle East, and the 139th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment (MPAD) deploying to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, all from Springfield, met at Marseilles Training Center (MTC) in Marseilles, Illinois, for two weeks to train under the Illinois’ Pre-mobilization Training Assistance Element (PTAE) before their respective deployments.
“We are training for mobilization,” said 1st Lt. Carl E. Crawford, of Springfield, Illinois, platoon leader for the 233rd MP Co.
During the two-week training, Soldiers performed multiple drills to improve their skills on and off the battlefield, such as Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT), detecting Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), running a traffic control point,
Modern Army Combatives Program (MACP), Humvee Egress Assistance Trainer (HEAT), Sexual Harassment Assault Response Program (SHARP), base defense and convoy training. Soldiers had many positive things to say about the training.
“What we did, specifically, was infantry-based training to bring our Soldiers up to speed on some skills they may not have used since basic training,” said Capt. Dustin Cammack, of Evanston, Illinois, commander of the 139th MPAD.
“I had a blast,” said Spc. Ian Withrow, a print journalist assigned to the 139th MPAD, and a native of Galesburg, Illinois, now a resident of Springfield, Illinois. “I tend to enjoy everything about the military and we’ve gotten to do a lot of things here that I haven’t been able to do in quite awhile.”
Cammack echoed this statement.
“Basic soldiering skills teach discipline, rank structure, how to communicate as a leader and get troops to follow,” said Cammack. “It really develops the whole package as far as being a Soldier, from basic training to your military occupation specialty skills.”
Despite the similar training, each unit had specialized tasks to complete to meet their specific mission.
Lt. Col. Michael Beierman, of Peotone, Illinois, the commander of BEST A15 and deputy commander of the 404th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade based in Normal, Illinois, said the mission of BEST A15 was as the support element for the Polish contingent in Afghanistan. A sizable portion of BEST A15’s training was centered on meeting that need.
“The BEST [team] is learning about the Polish culture and language because the Polish Army is different than the [U.S.] Army,” said Beierman. “Therefore we have to learn their structure.”
Sgt. 1st Class Robert Brogdon, of Jacksonville, Illinois, an administration non-commissioned officer with BEST A15, said he is excited to learn about the Polish culture and language.
Brogdon recently downloaded an application for his phone to learn Polish and practices speaking it with his niece, who resides in Poland. The 135th Aviation, a relatively new unit established in 2013, conducted radio training practiced loading casualties onto the aircraft and ground base training such as land navigation.
“As far as aviation goes, we have our own unique mission,” said Capt. Amanda Lempke, of Bloomington, Illinois, commander of C Co., 2-135th MEDEVAC Aviation.
Unfortunately, strong winds in the Marseilles area grounded the aircraft for safety reasons, but that didn’t stop the training.
“It made us more rounded in our skills,” said Lempke. “If the wind dictates that we can’t fly then we do other ground-based training.”
Annual training also played a strong role in strengthening the bonds within the team, as well as with other units, said Staff Sgt. Jonathan Edsell, of St. Louis, Missouri, senior flight medic with the 135th Aviation.
“I think the best thing we got from this training was being able to come together as a unit,” said Edsell.
There was one common message amongst the command teams at MTC regarding the training.
“Training was phenomenal,” said 1st Sgt. Mike Chrisman, of Athens, Illinois, senior non-commissioned officer of the 139th MPAD. “Most people don’t realize we have such an amazing training program for Soldiers deploying overseas.”
“The PTAE was excellent,” said Cammack. “They were highly professional, highly skilled and they really provided a level of customer service that helped us perform our duties to the standard they set. They are excellent individuals and they provided us with skills and refresher training that every Soldier should have.”
Sgt. Maj. Shane Lammers, of Champaign noncommissioned officer in charge of the PTAE, assigned to Joint Forces Headquarters in Springfield does what it takes to ensure Soldiers are ready for their overseas missions.
“It’s our job to make sure the soldiers are trained to standard before they are deployed,” said Lammers. “If the Soldiers need my guys to stay later – then we stay later.”
Cammack said he appreciated the opportunity for units to bond.
“I’ve seen the camaraderie grow from day one until the last day,” said Cammack. “One of the things I’m doing as a commander is building the cohesion throughout the unit. Our mission is going to be very unique and very stressful… having teamwork and cohesion will be very important with getting all of our tasks done and doing so in a professional manner.”
Chicago police officer assumes responsibility of Springfield Army National Guard Brigade
SPRINGFIELD – Command Sgt. Maj. Joseph Cistaro of Chicago, a 28-year military veteran and 22-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department, assumed responsibility of the 65th Troop Command Brigade in Springfield during a ceremony May 2.
A change of responsibility ceremony is held when the senior enlisted leader of a unit changes.
Cistaro will be the senior noncommissioned officer (NCO) for the 65th and will advise 65th Troop Command Brigade Commander, Col. Michael Glisson of Festus, Missouri, on all matters related to the brigade’s enlisted Soldiers.
Cistaro took the reins from Command Sgt. Maj. John Cycotte who recently retired from the Illinois Army National Guard after more than 30 years of service and moved to Florida. For the last nine months, two other sergeant majors have done the job on an interim basis until Cistaro returned from deployment in Afghanistan.
“Just as anything else we receive in the Army, the goal is to return it better than when you received it,” Cistaro said. “Command Sergeant Major Cycotte is a friend of mine and a superior leader. He left this organization in great shape and it is my goal to turn it over to the next command sergeant major even better than when I received it.”
Cistaro has been mobilized overseas four times, most recently with the Illinois Army National Guard’s Bilateral Embedded Staff Team which returned from Afghanistan in December 2014.
“In regards to my deployment to Afghanistan and my return I’d like to paraphrase Ernest Hemmingway….those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never care for anything else thereafter,” said Cistaro. “I am familiar with that sentiment however, that being said, being home with my friends and family after being away for nine months is a feeling that cannot be expressed in just a few lines. I am truly blessed.”
Lt. Col. George Pohlmann of Lockport, Illinois, 65th Troop Command Brigade Executive Officer, said Cistaro is a great fit for the brigade and the commander.
“He is great for the Soldiers and puts everything in perspective,” Pohlmann said. “He is a down to earth sergeant major who has embraced this diverse organization and will continue to make us better.”
Cistaro said he expects his NCOs to continue to be professionals and do their job as leaders.
“It is very basic, absolutely necessary, and at times can be difficult,” Cistaro said. “I expect them to put their Soldiers’ needs in front of their own. I expect them to lead from the front and be an example for which their subordinates can emulate. Ultimately, I expect them to uphold the NCO Creed and live according to the Army values. I feel that if those expectations are too much for them, then a change of career field should be their first priority.”
In his civilian capacity, Cistaro is a Chicago police officer. He has spent the last 18 years as a horse trainer and riding instructor in the Chicago Police Mounted Patrol Unit. He and his wife Kristie have five children.
Illinois National Guard ensures safety at NFL Draft with civilian partners
CHICAGO – Thousands of people gathered at Grant Park in downtown Chicago for the 2015 National Football League Draft from April 30 to May 2. Behind the lights, the vendors, and the regalia of the draft, the Illinois National Guard’s 5th Civil Support Team out of Bartonville, Illinois and their partners were on duty, silently protecting the masses from threats.
Working events like this is what the 5th CST does.
They are a 22-person, full-time, team comprised of highly trained Soldiers and Airmen that specialize in all aspects of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high-yield explosives and weapons of mass destruction threats. The team is broken into six specialized teams that identify and respond to those threats; a command and control team, a science team, a medical team, a decontamination team, a survey team, and a communications team.
For this event, the CST brought personnel to conduct joint hazard assessment team, or JHAT, patrols. The JHAT teams are comprised of Illinois National Guardsmen an dcivilian partners.
Though the NFL Draft is a major event, it is not necessary for the full complement of the CST to deploy every time explained Capt. Christopher Young of Morton, Illinois, Medical Operations Officer for the 5th CST.
“Though it was a large event, when we’re asked to do a JHAT mission, we typically just send the necessary pieces,” said Young.
While the CST works with local and national government agencies regularly, for the majority of events, they are requested by the U.S. Department of Energy. Once on site, they provide their expertise and abilities to assist in threat detection and response.
“It’s tremendous to have the CST augment us,” said Christine Van Horn, Regional Response Coordinator for the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Radiological Assistance Program (RAP) 5 of the U.S. Department of Energy. “The RAP community is relatively small; the CST really brings a lot to the table to help our operations.”
Chicago Fire District Chief Josh Dennis praised the CST for their abilities.
“The CST brings a technical expertise that we can definitely use,” said Dennis. “We work with much of the same equipment, but the CST does it on a daily basis and has a level of familiarity that is unmatched.”
CST members train not only to augment with their interagency partners, but to be interchangeable with them, making them a much greater asset in an operation, said Dennis.
Staff Sgt. Maggie Cronin of Peoria Heights a Survey Team Member with the CST stressed the importance of interagency work.
“The good thing about the interagency work is that most of the equipment is the same, so anyone can operate virtually anything that we use,” said Cronin.
Army Pvt. Brittany N. Gilmore
Army Pvt. Brittany N. Gilmore has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C.
During the nine weeks of training, the soldier studied the Army mission, history, tradition and core values, physical fitness, and received instruction and practice in basic combat skills, military weapons, chemical warfare and bayonet training, drill and ceremony, marching, rifle marksmanship, armed and unarmed combat, map reading, field tactics, military courtesy, military justice system, basic first aid, foot marches, and field training exercises.
Gilmore is the daughter of LaRoyce L. Lane of Bloomington and Bernard T. Gilmore of Chicago.
Gilmore is the sister of Arika M. Gilmore of Kennesaw, Ga.
U.S. Air Force Academy graduate Blaise Mcneese
Blaise R. Mcneese has graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo. The graduate received a bachelor of science degree and was commissioned as a second lieutenant.
Senior cadets have the opportunity to serve as academy cadet officers who provide leadership, motivation and direction for the cadet wing and demonstrate effective officership in support of unit mission objectives.
The academy is afour-year military institution of higher learning that develops and inspires new air and space leaders with a vision for the future. The curriculum provides instruction, education, training and experience in academics, military training, physical and athletic conditioning, and spiritual and ethical development to all cadets. They graduate with the knowledge, character and skills essential to meet the leadership challenges of the 21st century for future career officers in the U.S. Air Force.
The new lieutenants go on to serve as pilots, navigators, engineers, maintenance officers, professionals in various technical fields, and some attend medical or graduate school with special scholarships, while others go directly to non-rated Air Force-wide assignments.
Mcneese is the son of Jill R. Mcneese and Dennis T. Mcneese, both of Bloomington, and brother of Kathryn J. Mcneese-Vanopstall of Milwaukee, Wis.
He is a 2011 graduate of Tri-Valley High School, Downs.
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