Illinois Army National Guard Lt. Col. Brian Maloney of Champaign, the U.S. Property and Fiscal Office Comptroller, retired after 28 years of military service including 16 years as a member of the Illinois Army National Guard.
“You came to USPFO in 2009 and what a great relationship and friendship that has been,” said Col. Brian Creech, the U.S. Property and Fiscal Officer for Illinois. “We hate to see you go, but we understand.”
Creech thanked Maloney’s family, including parents, John and Judy Maloney, for their support throughout his career.
“Mom and Dad, you raised an awesome son,” Creech said. “As an organization, we wouldn’t be where we’re at without him and all he brought to the table.”
Maloney thanked his wife, Melissa, and children for their support.
“Thank you to my wife, Melissa. Without your love and support I wouldn’t have made it through these past many years,” he said. “To my daughter Kelly, and son, Alex, you put up with my many deployments, missed birthdays and special events. Mom and Dad, your support and love monumentally shaped me as a person and set me up for success in life.”
Maloney said the Champaign Police Department has been very supportive of his career.
“I couldn’t have been successful in the Illinois National Guard without their support,” he said.
Maloney said it has been a long career but one that has yielded many perks along the way.
“It has been a long 28 years, but I have had so many wonderful memories, friends and mentors,” he said. “Today is a sad, bittersweet day for me as I reflect on the past 28 years. It really went by in what seemed like a flash. Going into the Illinois National Guard after I came off active duty was truly the best decision I made.”
Maloney said when he joined the Illinois National Guard in 2006 it was transforming into a more professional staff.
“The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 made the state militias relevant again,” he said. “The Illinois National Guard didn’t miss a beat in that respect. Citizen-Soldier has become a cliché, but it’s true. When we deploy, we draw from the civilian skills of our Soldiers as well as the trained warrior we have developed.”
Maloney commissioned as a field artillery officer May 22, 1995, serving in the active duty U.S. Army until 2006, when he left active duty and joined the Illinois Army National Guard.
Throughout his career, he has held a variety of assignments including USPFO financial manager, planning and operations officer for 634th Brigade Support Battalion, and assistant professor of Military Science at the University of Illinois.
Maloney has deployed multiple times throughout his career, including to Afghanistan with the 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team in 2008-2009, and in support of COVID contingency operations from April 2020 to July 2022.
Maloney is a police lieutenant for the Champaign Police Department.
He received a Meritorious Service Medal for his many years of service.