Public Accountability Report

The Department of Military Affairs is the state agency that supports the Illinois National Guard. The Office of the Adjutant General division manages the daily operations and is the official channel of communication between the federal government and the state regarding military matters. It is also responsible for maintaining military personnel records and active duty service reports, preserving historical military artifacts, and providing military funeral honors.

The Illinois Army National Guard Facilities Directorate maintains 46 readiness centers (44 state-owned), 4 joint armed forces reserve centers, and is a tenant at three additional federally licensed sites. It has one state headquarters facility, one military academy, one military museum, two outdoor live fire weapons range complexes (MTA, Sparta), one training site, one training area, and 15 vehicle field maintenance facilities in 46 communities throughout the state. They also have three Army Aviation Support Facilities (AASF) at civilian airports – Decatur, Peoria, and Kankakee.  The Illinois Air National Guard also maintains three Air Bases at civilian airports – Springfield, Peoria, Mid America Airport / Scott Airbase. The federal government participates in the support of these facilities through the Master Cooperative Agreement.

The Illinois Military Family Relief program provides three types of grants: status-based, need-based, and casualty-based. Persons and families of persons who are members of the Illinois National Guard or Illinois residents who are members of the U.S. armed forces reserve components and who have been called to active duty as a result of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks may apply for all three types. Illinois residents who are members of the U.S. active armed forces may apply for the casualty-based grants only.

Lincoln's ChalleNGe is a youth intervention program designed to improve life-coping skills and future employability of high school dropouts between the ages of 16 and 18 through participation in a life skills program based on a military training model. The program includes a 22-week Residential Phase and a 12-month Post-Residential Phase. The highly structured ChalleNGe curriculum during the Residential Phase is based on what is defined as “Eight Core” objectives which include almost every facet of life. The young people, who are called cadets, also attend academic classes that enable them to complete the GED. After the Residential component, cadets participate in a 12-month Post-Residential Phase, which matches them with a mentor. The mentor, along with the ChalleNGe case manager ensures that the cadets become productive and active citizens within their respective communities. Being productive may include joining the military, attending college, volunteering at a social service agency, or entering the job market.