On July 25, 2019, members of the Illinois Army National Guard conducted their first ever live hoist training with the UH-72 Lakota helicopter. Capt. Michael Verdun, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Joshua Roberts, Sgt. 1st Class Mark Klein, and Sgt. William Fargher were the crew which conducted the training. Overall, this is one of the first steps of many in the ILARNG’s efforts of building a HSART (Helicopter Search and Rescue Team) with Illinois Task Force One. | Illinois National Guard

The 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry Regiment is training with our Japanese allies as part of Orient Shield 2019. This shows some of the high-speed training our Illinois Army National Guard Soldiers participate in. Always Ready, Always There! #NationalGuard | Illinois National Guard

Maj. Gen. Richard Neely, the Adjutant General, Commander of the Illinois National Guard, explains the ongoing mission of the troops stationed around Illinois Captiol Complex Jan. 20, 2021. (video by US Army Maj. A.J. Ruggieri, 139th MPAD) | Illinois National Guard