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Reegan Smith, daughter of newly promoted Col. Eric Smith, of Springfield, affixes the colonel rank on his uniform during a promotion ceremony Jan. 13 at Camp Lincoln, Springfield.

Newly promoted Col. Eric Smith, Director of Logistics for the Illinois Army National Guard, thanks family and friends for their support throughout his 34 years of service during a promotion ceremony Jan. 13 at Camp Lincoln, Springfield.

Asya Smith, daughter of newly promoted Col. Eric Smith, of Springfield, removes the lieutenant colonel rank on his uniform during a promotion ceremony Jan. 13 at Camp Lincoln, Springfield.

The Illinois National Guard’s 2nd Infantry Regiment enters the gates of Camp Lincoln, Springfield, in the late 1800s. Vendors used to gather at the gate of Camp Lincoln to sell to the thousands of Soldiers that trained at the facility. The Illinois National Guard will celebrate its 300th year in 2023 with communities across the state.

Capt. Anthony McClain, the Illinois National Guard Director of Diversity and Inclusion, chats with Capt. Crystal Rodrigues, the State Partnership Program Director and International Affairs Officer, in their office at the Illinois National Guard Joint Force Headquarters on Camp Lincoln in Springfield, Ill Dec. 29, 2022. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Trenton Fouche, Joint Force Headquarters - Illinois National Guard)

Capt. Anthony McClain, the Illinois National Guard Director of Diversity and

Inclusion, smiles for a portrait in front of the Illinois National Guard Joint Force Headquarters on Camp Lincoln in Springfield, Ill Dec. 29, 2022. McClain leads the Illinois National Guard’s Diversity, Inclusion, and Access program and strives to help the Guard achieve a more inclusive organizational culture.

“We have an obligation to develop, mentor and retain top talent reflective of the communities we serve,” McClain said. “Some of my responsibilities include striving to improve the representation of underrepresented groups to ensure each individual in the Illinois National Guard has the opportunity, guidance and information necessary to reach their maximum potential.” (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Trenton Fouche, Joint Force Headquarters - Illinois National Guard)

During the 404th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade’s deployment to Djibouti, military forces from the United States, along with Spanish, and Republic of Korea militaries were able to interact with each other. Nearly 200 Illinois Army National Guard Soldiers serving on the deployment arrived home just before the Thanksgiving holiday.

1st. Lt. Patrick Reynolds, Embassy Liaison Officer and members from the Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa operations directorate pose with a Djiboutian Military Organization. Nearly 200 Illinois Army National Guard Soldiers serving on the deployment arrived home just before the Thanksgiving holiday.

Capt. Matthew Marass, Aide-de-Camp to the commander of Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa, and Maj. Gen. Jami Shawley, Commander, CJTF-HOA, participate in the Norwegian Ruck March, during the 404th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade’s deployment to Djibouti. Nearly 200 Illinois Army National Guard Soldiers serving on the deployment arrived home just before the Thanksgiving holiday.

Illinois Army National Guard Lt. Col. Elizabeth Roxworthy, who served as the Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa executive officer during the 404th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade’s deployment, talks with Maj. Gen. William Zana, then-Commander of CJTF-HOA, during a patching ceremony. Nearly 200 Illinois Army National Guard Soldiers serving on the deployment arrived home just before the Thanksgiving holiday.

Soldiers from the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa and Japanese medical staff trained together on behavioral health screening techniques and best practices for service member care during the 404th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade’s deployment to Djibouti. Nearly 200 Illinois Army National Guard Soldiers serving on the deployment arrived home just before the Thanksgiving holiday.

Matt Palmisano, the new integrative prevention officer for the Illinois National Guard, helps guide his teammate during a resiliency exercise Dec. 1 on Camp Lincoln in Springfield, Ill. During the exercise Illinois National Guard servicemembers were put in teams and asked to help guide each other through obstacles while blindfolded. The exercise assisted groups with building trust while working together in a team environment. Instructors from NATAL, the Israel Trauma and Resiliency Center, brought resiliency training to the Illinois National Guard as a U.S. pilot course called Operational Stress Management and Resiliency Care for First Responders. The course ran from Nov. 29 to Dec. 2 at Camp Lincoln, Springfield, followed by another week of teleconference training.

Illinois Army National Guard trucks line up prior to June's parade.

The temperature was 23-degrees Fahrenheit, but it was a warm June Day in Auburn, Illinois, Dec. 17 as the Illinois National Guard joined hundreds of first responders and community groups from across the region to give 3-year-old June Peden-Stade a parade. The Make A Wish Foundation reached out to the City of Auburn with June's wish this week and supporters flocked in from all over Central Illinois to make the parade a reality, including 10 trucks and about 20 Soldiers from the Illinois Army National Guard's 232nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion; Charlie Company of the 634th Brigade Support Battalion; Battery B of the 2nd Battalion, 123rd Field Artillery; and the 3637th Maintenance Company - all based in Springfield.

CJ and Joey, the mascots for Hospital Sisters Health System Children's Hospital, pose with Brandy Grove, the HSHS Manager of Philanthropy, as 10-year-old Zoey Beyers peeks out from behind prior to June's parade. The temperature was 23-degrees Fahrenheit, but it was a warm June Day in Auburn, Illinois, Dec. 17 as the Illinois National Guard joined hundreds of first responders and community groups from across the region to give 3-year-old June Peden-Stade a parade. The Make A Wish Foundation reached out to the City of Auburn with June's wish this week and supporters flocked in from all over Central Illinois to make the parade a reality, including 10 trucks and about 20 Soldiers from the Illinois Army National Guard's 232nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion; Charlie Company of the 634th Brigade Support Battalion; Battery B of the 2nd Battalion, 123rd Field Artillery; and the 3637th Maintenance Company - all based in Springfield.

Family and friends watch June's parade with her. June watched from inside the front door window. The temperature was 23-degrees Fahrenheit, but it was a warm June Day in Auburn, Illinois, Dec. 17 as the Illinois National Guard joined hundreds of first responders and community groups from across the region to give 3-year-old June Peden-Stade a parade. The Make A Wish Foundation reached out to the City of Auburn with June's wish this week and supporters flocked in from all over Central Illinois to make the parade a reality, including 10 trucks and about 20 Soldiers from the Illinois Army National Guard's 232nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion; Charlie Company of the 634th Brigade Support Battalion; Battery B of the 2nd Battalion, 123rd Field Artillery; and the 3637th Maintenance Company - all based in Springfield.

Itai Biran, the Consul for Political and Commercial Affairs at the Consulate General of Israel to the Midwest in Chicago, welcomes members of the Illinois National Guard to the course at Camp Lincoln, Springfield. Biran talked about the importance of destigmatizing mental health issues.

Maj. Gen. Rich Neely, the Adjutant General of Illinois and Commander of the Illinois National Guard, welcomes members of the Illinois National Guard attending the Operational Stress Management Resiliency Care for First Responders course at Camp Lincoln, Springfield. The course was taught by instructors from NATAL, the Israel Trauma and Resiliency Center which specializes in war and terror related trauma, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and resiliency building.

Maj. Gen. Rich Neely, the Adjutant General of Illinois and Commander of the Illinois National Guard, welcomes an Israeli delegation to Camp Lincoln, Springfield, Nov. 29. The Israeli delegation was invited to teach members of the Illinois National Guard to cope with stress through the Operational Stress Management Resiliency Care for First Responders course Nov. 29 to Dec. 2 at Camp Lincoln, Springfield.

Staff Sgt. Tyler Allen of the Illinois National Guard Counter Drug Team, guides Maj. Chad Wester, the Joint Interagency and Intergovernmental Affairs Officer for the Illinois National Guard through an obstacle course Dec. 1 on Camp Lincoln in Springfield, Illinois.

Maj. Brady Lanoue, a chaplain assigned to the Illinois Army National Guard 65th Troop Command, is guided by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Lane Hamm of the Illinois Air National Guard 182d Security Forces Squadron, during a resiliency exercise Dec. 1 on Camp Lincoln in Springfield, Illinois.