Illinois National Guard sending 400 to Afghanistan
- By Benjamin Yount | The Center Square
- 4 hrs ago
Gov. J.B. Pritzker speaks during a bill signing Wednesday, June 5, 2019 at the Thompson Center in downtown Chicago.
Amr Alfiky / AP Photo
Illinois is sending its largest contingent of National Guard troops in about a decade to Afghanistan.
Nearly 400 troops with the 178th Infantry Regiment left over the weekend. They will stop in Texas for training, then they will spend the next year or in Afghanistan as part of Operation Freedom's Sentinel.
It's the first time Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has sent troops overseas. And it's the largest deployment to Afghanistan for the Illinois Guard in almost 10 years.
"Serving as Commander and Chief of Illinois' citizen soldiers is a humbling endeavor for me because you represent the very best of this state," Pritzker said over the weekend. "The service you and your families give every day to the people of Illinois, that service to defend this nation, will always be a source of inspiration and respect."
The 178th is mainly based in the Chicago area, but members from as far south as Joliet and as far north as Woodstock are also part of the regiment.
Lt. Co. Matt Garrison said the troops will be providing security for coalition forces in Afghanistan.
"Know that this unit and this battalion is ready to meet the mission in Afghanistan," Garrison said. "We have the training, we have the right personnel, and we have the equipment to accomplish the mission."
Garrison said the troops will spend about a year in Afghanistan.
Suburbanites among the 400 Illinois Army National Guardsmen off to Afghanistan
Wood Dale police officer Thomas Nickelson on Friday, his last day on duty before he will be deployed to Afghanistan with the Illinois Army National Guard. He will be on an overseas mission for at least the next year. Courtesy of Wood Dale Police Department
The largest mobilization of Illinois Army National Guardmen in nearly a decade, including from companies in Elgin and Woodstock, starts Saturday.
The guardsmen are with the 1st Battalion, 178th Infantry Regiment headquartered in Chicago and including companies in Elgin, Woodstock, Chicago, Bartonville and Kankakee, and a detachment in Joliet, said Barbara Wilson, public affairs specialist for the Illinois Army National Guard.
The guardsmen are being mobilized in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel, which followed the Operation Enduring Freedom combat mission in Afghanistan and was designed to focus on training and counterterrorism efforts. They will train at Fort Bliss, Texas, before deploying to Afghanistan.
A mobilization ceremony takes place at 10 a.m. Saturday at Elgin Community College, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin, and another one at 4 p.m. Saturday at Woodstock High School, 501 W. South St., Woodstock.
Other ceremonies take place Sunday in Chicago and Kankakee, and Monday in Peoria.
Among those deployed is Wood Dale police officer Thomas Nickelson, whom the Wood Dale Police Department feted Friday.
"Today we were honored to thank Ofc. Nickelson for his service during his upcoming deployment with the U.S. Army," the department posted on Facebook. "He will be on an overseas mission for at least the next year. Today was his last day on the street prior to his report date this weekend."
"We look forward to welcoming him back to our family when he completes his tour of duty."
Above is from: https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20190726/suburbanites-among-the-400-illinois-army-national-guardsmen-off-to-afghanistan
