Major General Rich Neely is the 40th Adjutant General of the State of Illinois and serves on the Governor’s cabinet as the Director of the Illinois Department of Military Affairs. General Neely is the Commander for both the Illinois Army and Air National Guard where he is responsible for daily operations and oversees approximately 13,000 military members, 2,200 fulltime military/federal employees and 230 civilian state employees.
As the Commander of the Illinois National Guard, he is responsible for the training, preparation and deployment of Soldiers and Airmen in support of combat operations worldwide. General Neely led the 2019 response to historic flooding in Illinois along with the unprecedented 2020/2021 COVID19 pandemic response and multiple deployments of the National Guard in response to civil unrest across the state and in support of the National Capitol Response mission. During his 34 years of service as a military officer, General Neely has served in numerous command, staff, and operational positions, including the National Guard Bureau’s Principal Deputy Director for Air Operations where he oversaw Intelligence, Air, Nuclear, Cyber and Space Operations (A2/3/6/10) and the Air National Guard’s Chief Information Officer. Also at the National Guard Bureau, he served as the Chief of Current Operations (NG J33) where he was the focal point for National Guard Domestic Operations/Defense Support to Civil Authorities, and crisis management for federal interagency partners in support of the 54 States and Territories.
General Neely is a Master Cyberspace Officer with other specialties in operations, logistics and finance. He is joint qualified, a dual status commander and has two overseas deployments in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. General Neely is a national leader in cybersecurity and critical infrastructure as it applies to emergency management. He routinely speaks on the topic at US Northern Command, National Governors Association, the National Guard Cyber Law course, the Armed Forces Policy Board, and other emergency management events. He served as a member of the Atlantic Council GeoTech Committee and is serving as the Chairman for the Army National Guard’s Cyber Readiness Advisory Council, member of the National Guard’s Cyber General Officer Advisory Council, Business Executives for National Security, along with IL Joining Forces. General Neely was awarded the Polish Commanders Cross with Silver Star Order of Merit by the President of Poland and the Distinguished Service Medal (IL) by the Governor of Illinois in 2022.
EDUCATION
1989 Bachelor of Science in Business and Finance, Illinois State University, Normal, Ill.
1991 Logistics Plans and Programs Course, Lowry AFB, Colo.
1996 Squadron Officer School, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Montgomery, Ala.
1998 Air Force Financial Management Staff Officer Course, Sheppard AFB, Texas
2003 Fixed and Deployable Communications Course, Kessler AFB, Miss.
2005 Communications and Information Officer Training, Kessler AFB, Miss.
2005 Air Command Staff College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2007 Information Assurance Professional Certification (4011), National Defense University Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2008 Air War College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2009 Certified Defense Financial Manager, American Society of Military Comptrollers, Arlington, Va.
2009 Chief Information Officer Certification, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2010 Commander, Air Force Forces (COMAFFOR) Senior Staff Course, Air Force Expeditionary Center, Fort Dix, N.J.
2011 Joint Task Force Commanders Course, USNORTHCOM, Peterson AFB, Colo.
2011 Air Force Cyber Operations Transition Course, Kessler AFB, Miss.
2011 Master of Science, Public Administration, Policy, and Leadership (CIO), National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2013 Dual Status Commander Certification, USNORTHCOM, Peterson AFB, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2014 Joint & Combined Warfighting School (JPME II), Joint Forces Staff College, National Defense University, Norfolk Va.
2015 Homeland Security Senior Leaders Course, John F. Kennedy School, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
2016 Cyber 400, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2017 Advance Space Operations School (Space 400), Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
2018 National Security Course, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2019 Senior Leader Orientation Course (SLOC); Joint Base Andrews, Md. & Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas
2021 Eurasia Seminar – Regional Boundaries and Global Responsivities (Virtual)
2021 Cybersecurity – The Intersection of Policy & Technology; John F. Kennedy School, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
2022 Homeland Security, John F. Kennedy School, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
2023 Artificial Intelligence, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 1990 – August 1994, Chief Logistics Plans and Programs, 183d Resource Management Squadron, Capital Airport, Springfield, Ill.
2. August 1994 – October 1999, Financial Officer, 183d Fighter Wing Headquarters, Capital Airport, Springfield, Ill.
3. October 1999 – August 2000, Wing Executive Officer, 183d Fighter Wing Headquarters, Capital Airport, Springfield, Ill.
4. August 2000 – October 2005, Commander, 183d Communications Flight, Capital Airport, Springfield, Ill. (August 2004 – January 2005, 380TH Expeditionary Communications Squadron, Al Dhafra Air Base, UAE)
5. October 2005 – October 2008, Wing Executive Officer, 183d Fighter Wing Headquarters, Capital Airport, Springfield, Ill. (September 2007-February 2008, Chief, Engineering Branch, Central Command, Central Region Theater Network Operations Center, Bahrain Naval Base, Bahrain)
6. October 2008 – November 2009, Director of Logistics, Illinois Air National Guard Headquarters/Deputy United States Property & Fiscal Officer for Illinois, Camp Lincoln, Springfield, Ill.
7. October 2009 – October 2012, (Traditional) Commander, 183d Air Component Operations Squadron, 183d Air Operations Group, Capital Airport, Springfield, Ill.
8. November 2009 – October 2012, (Full-time) Illinois National Guard J6/CIO - Director Information Management, Camp Lincoln, Springfield, Ill.
9. October 2012 – February 2014, Chief of Staff for the Joint Staff, Illinois National Guard, Joint Forces Headquarters, Camp Lincoln, Springfield, Ill.
10. February 2014 – November 2015, Chief of Current Operations Division, NG J33, National Guard Bureau, Pentagon/Arlington Station, Arlington, Va.
11. November 2015 – August 2016, Chief of Cyber and Space Systems Division, Air National Guard, A2/3/6 W, Joint Base Andrews, Md.
12. July 2016 – January 2018, Deputy Director Cyber and Space Operations, Air National Guard, A2/3/6/10, Joint Base Andrews, Md.
13. January 2018 – May 2018, Principal Deputy Director of Operations, Air National Guard, A2/3/6/10, Joint Base Andrews, Md.
14. May 2018 - August 2018, Deputy Director Cyber and Space Operations, Air National Guard, A2/3/6/10, Joint Base Andrews, Md.
15. September 2018 – February 2019, Commander, 183d Mission Support Group, 183d Wing, Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport, Springfield, Ill.
16. February 2019 – Present, Commander of the Illinois National Guard, The Adjutant General of Illinois, Springfield, Ill.
AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:
Legion of Merit Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with three bronze oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Army Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal with three bronze oak leaf clusters
Army Achievement Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
AF Outstanding Unit Award with Valor Device with two bronze oak leaf clusters
Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal with bronze oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal with bronze star
Iraq Campaign Medal with bronze star
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
AF Overseas Ribbon Short with bronze oak leaf clusters
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon gold border and bronze oak leaf clusters
AF Longevity Service with silver oak leaf cluster and two bronze oak leaves
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with one 'M' device and a silver hourglass
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon rifle
Air Force Training Ribbon
Army Service Ribbon
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2022 Awarded the Polish Commanders Cross with Silver Star Order of Merit by the President of Poland, President Duda
2022 Awarded the Distinguished Service Medal (IL) by the Governor of Illinois, Governor Pritzker
2016 Designated as Joint Qualified Officer (Level III)
2014 Completion of Joint & Combined Warfighting School (JPME-II)
2013 Dual Status Commander Certification
2009 Certified Defense Financial Manager
1998 Air National Guard Financial Services Officer of the Year
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION:
Second Lieutenant Aug. 2, 1990
First Lieutenant July 1, 1993
Captain July 5, 1995
Major June 8, 2000
Lieutenant Colonel Nov. 5, 2005
Colonel Dec. 7, 2009
Brigadier General Feb. 8, 2019
Major General, Dec. 14, 2020
(Current as of 19Mar2024)