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- [Interviewer] Hi, can
I have you start by say

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and spell your name and
give me your title please?

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- Johnny O'Brien.

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J-O-H-N-N-Y O-B-R-I-E-N.

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I'm the Command Sergeant Major
for Illinois National Guard's

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Recruiting and Retention Battalion.

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- [Interviewer] Okay, so right now

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with the social distancing
and the restrictions

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and some high schools
or all the high schools

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in Illinois being closed at this point,

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I'm sure that has created some challenges

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and makes it difficult for
recruiters to do their job.

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What are those challenges?

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And how are you managing them?

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- Our biggest challenge is
we're not able to get out

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and offer the opportunity
to as many people

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just based on you know,
the schools being closed.

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The covid-19 has a lot of
people with their health

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and physical safety you
know, on their mind.

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So that way we're
practicing everything we can

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with the social distancing.

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You know, our appointments
are kinda limited,

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you know, at this point.

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So we're conducting a
lot of our appointments

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through FaceTime or the technology

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that we have right now to do that.

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It's just making it a
little more challenging

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to reach more people.

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I mean we're out there,
we're trying to get it done.

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You know, the best we can though.

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- [Interviewer] So our
opportunity to be out there

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is limited but if somebody is interested

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and wants to know more,

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how can they get in
contact with a recruiter

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and maintain those safe
physical distances?

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- Well, the easiest way is
either through nationalguard.com

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or through any of the
social media platforms.

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We have the Illinois National Guard,

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as well as the Illinois
National Guard Recruiting

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and Retention battalion on Facebook.

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So any of those, we can get linked up

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with the local National Guard recruiter.

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- [Interviewer] Once
there's been a conversation

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and somebody decides they're interested,

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there's obviously has to be
a face to face at some point.

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There's the the MEPS process

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and shipping to basic training.

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How is that being affected
or How will that go forward?

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- Well, once we get to that point,

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you know, after you know
whether it'd be through

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a FaceTime or whatever,
we do have to meet up

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so we can get the appropriate signatures

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to prepare somebody to
continue the process.

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When they continue the process,

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they have to go to the Military
Entrance Processing Station

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and each of the MEPS that we use,

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we use three MEPS, Chicago,
St. Louis and Des Moines.

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Every MEPS has the procedures in place,

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you know, the proper screening
by medical professionals

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before they can even be
allowed into the building.

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You know, they do have limitations,
no visitors are allowed.

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So unfortunately right now,
if somebody would join,

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you know, their parents would not be able

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to go watch them you know, swear in.

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But to enlist, I mean, they're
screening everybody properly

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and then for those shipping
out to basic training,

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it's the same process.

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They have to go back up through MEPS,

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get screened by the medical professionals

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before they are cleared to
ship off to the training site

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and at the training sites,

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they're doing the same screening process.

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- [Interviewer] Okay,
let's talk a little bit

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about the Illinois National Guard mission.

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Now, in the last couple of days,

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the governor has activated
a group of airmen

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and a group of soldiers from
the Illinois National Guard

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to perform State Active
Duty in various functions.

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Talk a little bit about State Active Duty

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as it relates to being a soldier

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in the Illinois Army National Guard.

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- The State Active Duty
is a great chance for us

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to showcase what we're really here for.

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You know having to do a mission,

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the Federal mission and the state mission.

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It's not that often that we get to go out

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and show the local communities you know,

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what we're really here for.

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So it's great to be able
to have our soldiers

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and airmen help their
neighbors, help their community,

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you know people take pride in it.

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But also in times like
this, a lot of the community

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wants to step forward and do the same.

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So they wanna help their
neighbors, help the community

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and kinda help the greater
good at times like this.

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- [Interviewer] Great.

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So what are some military jobs available

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to anyone who may be
interested in joining the guard

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or who may wanna know more
about the military top jobs?

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- We've got jobs throughout
the state you know,

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some of our top jobs that
we're looking at now,

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we have you know, your infantry soldiers,

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your field artillery, we've got you know,

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communications jobs, medical jobs,

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we've got cybersecurity jobs.

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So you name it and we have it somewhere

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throughout the state of Illinois.

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- [Interviewer] Okay, and
what are some of the benefits

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of being in the guard?

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- The benefits are outstanding
at this point you know,

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some some of the jobs we
offer like some of the ones

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that I mentioned offer up to $20,000

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for an enlistment bonus.

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But simply by serving
in the National Guard,

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you know in Illinois we get

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the National Guard grant
which pays you know,

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for their college tuition.

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So you know, members of the National Guard

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can go to college tuition free,

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as well as making you know,
the Montgomery GI bill.

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So a lot of people use
the education benefits

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but not everybody.

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Some people like to get
job skills out of it.

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It is just the the pride
in service to country.

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So no matter what you're looking for,

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we can satisfy you know, any need.

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- [Interviewer] Okay, and
for someone who's looking,

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where can we find you again?

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- nationalguard.com or find
the Illinois National Guard

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or Illinois National Guard Recruiting

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and Retention on our Facebook.

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(helicopter engine roaring)