“Having served with the Illinois Army National Guard in the Eastern Europe region, I was happy to be a part of an update from Adj. Gen. Neeley and his staff,” said Rep. Blaine Wilhour. “The Illinois Army National Guard has a long history of service in this region. This is a very complicated issue with huge geopolitical implications that deserves much more questioning and critical oversight from elected leaders.”
As reported recently in the media, efforts have been underway in the United States to help Ukraine, which includes assistance from the Illinois National Guard.
Illinois National Guard troops recently returned from helping train Ukrainian soldiers. The Multinational Brigade was a combination of Polish, Lithuanian, and Ukrainian officers and soldiers that focus on humanitarian aid. The guard helped train them for two weeks on the Military Decision-Making Process.
On a separate deployment, the Illinois National Guard was in Ukraine for 11 months for Task Force Illini. One-hundred-sixty-five guard members from the 33rd Infantry Combat Brigade out of Urbana returned home last April after mentoring Ukraine’s soldiers at the combat training center in Ukraine.