On May 9, Governor Pat Quinn honored the 290th birthday of the Illinois National Guard, saluting its members who embody the democratic ideal of the citizen soldier. The Illinois National Guard has a dual mission: The state mission, under the governor’s command, is to respond to domestic emergencies in Illinois or elsewhere through cooperative agreements between states; and the federal mission is to go into combat or respond to federal emergencies at the direction of the President of the United States. There are 13,000 Illinois National Guard soldiers and airmen serving at more than 50 armories, bases and training facilities across Illinois.
