Military Initiatives - lllinois Lt. Governor's Office - 2003-Present

Since the Global War on Terror began in 2001, more than 20,000 members of the lllinois National Guard and Reserves have been called up to active duty. Since taking office in 2003, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn has worked to assist active duty service, reserve, and National Guard servciemembers, veterans and their families. The Lt. Governor has been acknowledged nationwide as a leader in creating model legislation and programs to assist active service members and veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces

Let Them Rest In Peace Act

Lt. Gov. Quinn initiated the "Let Them Rest in Peace Act," which protects grieving lllinois families from vile protests intended to disrupt funerals of servicemen and women who have given their lives in the Global War on Terror. Sponsored by Rep. Brandon Phelps (D-Norris City) and Sen. A.J. Wilhelmi (D-Joliet), this law establishes a zone of privacy to protect mourners at funerals from hate groups seeking to use vile signs and epithets to heckle and harass them. The legislation, which has become a national model, was signed into law by Gov. Rod Blagojevich in May 2006 and now protects every Illinois family's fundamental right to conduct a funeral with reverence and dignity.

lllinois Military Family Relief Fund

Under legislation (SB1069) spearheaded by Lt. Gov. Quinn and signed by Gov. Blagojevich in February 2003, the State of lllinois created the Illinois Military Family Relief Fund, the first of its kind in the nation, to provide financial assistance to families of reservists and National Guard members called up to active duty in the Global War on Terror.

A 2004 study by the U.S. Department of Defense found that 55 percent of married National Guard members and reservists take a pay cut when activated, and 15 percent see their incomes drop by $30,000 a year or more. As a result, their call to active duty can create severe financial hardships for their families.

The lllinois Military Family Relief Fund legislation authorized an initial payment from the State of lllinois into the trust fund and established a check-off box on Illinois income tax returns allowing taxpayers to make voluntary contributions. The Fund was created with a $5 million payment from the State of Illinois. All funds colllected go directly to military families with no charges for administrative overhead.

Since 2003, more than 10,000 military families in lllinois have received grants of $500 to $2,000 to help them cover such basic living expenses as rent, utilities and groceries. The $6 million distributed through the Fund includes donations made through the state income tax return check-off box, as well as hundreds of voluntary contributions from individuals and organizations. Anyone interested in contributing to the lllinois Military Family Relief Fund may visit www.illinoishomefront.orq.

The Lt. Governor's office has actively promoted the Military Family Relief Fund and has been instrumental in raising corporate donations. In June 2005, for example, Lt. Gov. Quinn worked with WLS-Radio and Cub Foods to kick off Operation Round Up which asked customers to "round-up" their purchase to the nearest dollar and donate those extra cents to military families. Thanks to matching funds from the sponsors and their vendors, that effort yielded $80,000 for the Fund and Operation Support Our Troops. In July 2005, CareerBuilder.com contributed $100,000 to the Military Family Relief Fund.

The lllinois Chapter of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the USA has donated $36,000. The Joliet JackHammers, a minor league baseball team, have raised $9,175. The Fund has also benefited from a number of grassroots efforts, such as the $1,600 in bake sale proceeds raised by students at Gurrie Middle School in LaGrange. In the three years since the lllinois Military Family Relief Fund was created, it has served as a national model for other states seeking to help their military families. The Office of the Illinois Lt. Governor has facilitated a bipartisan national drive to create similar funds. The National Lieutenant Governors' Association has unanimously endorsed Lt. Gov. Quinn's resolution encouraging every state to support the Military Family Relief Fund concept. So far, 26 states have created funds based on the Illinois model.

Illinois Homefront

The Lt. Governor's office has created IllinoisHomefront.org (formerly OperationHomefront.org) which has received over 20 million hits since its launch and has been recognized as one of the nation's most informative websites for service members and their families.

Launched in April 2003, the website offers members of the armed forces information about their rights under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, USERRA and other federal and state laws. Through OperationHomefront.org, servicemembers and their families can easily contact the Lt. Governor's office for further information and other assistance.

As State Treasurer, Quinn first organized "Operation Home Front" during the Desert Storm conflict in 1991. During that time, hundreds of family members called a toll-free hotline set up by Quinn who notified lending institutions of their obligations under the Soldiers and Sailors Civil Relief Act.

Veterans Health Care Initiatives

Lt. Gov. Quinn proposed the Veterans Care program, signed into law by Gov. Blagojevich in May 2006, which offers health care coverage to uninsured Illinois veterans. There are thousands of lllinois veterans who do not quality for federal Veterans Administration health coverage and cannot afford expensive private health insurance. Under the Veterans Care law, lllinois veterans will be offered comprehensive, affordable health care, beginning in September 2006.

The Veterans Care program followed the 2004 release of America's Neglected Veterans, a nationwide study of veterans' health insurance coverage by Public Citizen's Health Research Group. The study, released in Chicago by Lt. Gov. Quinn and nationally recognized public health expert Dr. Quentin Young, found that nearly 1.7 million veterans nationwide had neither health insurance coverage nor access to Veterans' Administration hospitals and clinics in 2003. The study further found that the number of uninsured veterans rose by more than 235,000 from 2000 to 2003.

In 2005, Lt. Gov. Quinn helped to win passage of HB2190, which expanded the list of mental illnesses that insurance companies must cover to include Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. This issue is particularly important to veterans who suffer long-lasting, chronic mental illness in response to traumatic events on the battlefield.

The Lt. Governor's office helped to pass a new lllinois lottery game, Veterans Cash. Proceeds from the game are earmarked for the lllinois Veterans Assistance Trust Fund which provides health care, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder treatment, and homelessness assistance for lllinois veterans. Each Veterans Cash ticket costs $2, with a top prize of $20,000. Veterans Cash, passed and introduced in 2006, is expected to generate more than $3 million in net revenue for veterans health programs in the coming year. Lt. Gov. Quinn supported a successful petition drive to reopen the 38-bed skilled care wing of the lllinois Veterans' Home in Manteno in 2003.

Veterans Housing

Lt. Gov. Quinn supported a state, federal and private partnership to build the Bishop Goedert Residence, a 70-unit, subsidized apartment complex on the Hines Veterans Administration campus west of Chicago. This new housing facility will offer subsidized rent to lower-income seniors, with veterans and their widows getting first preference. The partnership between the federal government, the State of lllinois and Catholic Charities was the first of its kind in the nation, and set an example for other states seeking ways to provide safe, affordable housing for older veterans.

Expanded Legal Protections for Active Servicemembers and Reservists

In 2004, Gov. Blagojevich signed the lllinois Citizen Soldier Initiative, which was spearheaded by Lt. Gov. Quinn. The initiative, sponsored by State Sen. Barack Obama and State Rep. Linda Chapa Lavia, expanded the term "military status" in the Human Rights Code to include National Guard members and Reservists, and made lllinois the first state in the nation to protect its citizen soldiers from discrimination in employment, housing or lending.

The Lt. Governor has been instrumental in the passage of numerous other bills protecting the rights of military personnel and their families including: SB 1668, extending the State of Illinois line-of-duty death benefit of $273,000 - the highest in the nation -- to families of all servicemen and women killed during Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom. As of July 2006, the State of Illinois has paid more than $17 million in death benefits to military families.

SB2526, requiring the Department of Military Affairs to notify servicemembers and veterans of their rights and responsibilities under State and federal law.

HB4372, entitling military reservists and National Guard members to credit or refund of college tuition and fees if their education is interrupted by a call to active duty, and also expands their rights in connection with stays, postponements, or suspensions of some court proceedings.

SB1627, requiring businesses with more than 50 employees to offer up to 30 days of unpaid leave to spouses and parents of active-duty soldiers, if those employees have exhausted all of their vacation and sick leave. Business with 15 to 50 employees are required to offer up to 15 days of unpaid leave to the spouses and parents of soldiers on active duty.

HB156, requiring public elementary and high school districts to allow students to remain in school, without paying out-of-district tuition, if those students must move out of district temporarily following a parent's call to active military duty.

SB2547, shielding business owners who are members of the military reserves and National Guard from paying higher rates of unemployment tax when their businesses close temporarily because those owners are deployed to active military duty.

HB4996, providing payment of $3,000 from the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs to the widow or widower, child or children, or other survivors of a deceased veteran of the Global War on Terrorism, and allowing single people to apply for grants from the Military Family Relief Fund.

Veterans Employment initiatives

Lt. Gov Quinn's office and the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs partnered with CareerBuilder.com to develop Operation Hero for Hire, a website connecting veterans with employers who value their military experience and work ethic. This statewide effort quickly grew into a nationwide initiative, drawing employers from almost every state.

The Lt. Governor's office is promoting the Troops to Teachers initiative, recruiting qualified members of the military to begin new careers as public school teachers. This program, established nationally by the Department of Defense in 1994, offers modest cash stipends to veterans who put their leadership skills to work in schools serving financially impoverished communities.

Lt. Gov. Quinn is supporting the construction trade unions in their Helmets to Hardhats program, part of a nationwide initiative placing military veterans in union apprenticeship programs leading to careers in construction and building trades.

The Lt. Governor took part in the "Supermarket of Veterans' Benefits," held in Chicago, to help thousands of veterans access a wide variety of services, including education and vocational training, low-interest home loans and counseling.

The Lt. Governor’s office has participated in a symposioum for the Illinois Dept of Employment Security specifically focused on veterans’ employment.

Support and Assistance to Military Families

Lt. Gov. Quinn has testified before Congress in support of the national legislation to benefit active service men and women and their families. In 2004, he testified in favor of the Patriotic Employment Act, which requires employers to post descriptions in the workplace of the rights and benefits of National Guard members and reservists. He also testified in support of the Safeguarding Schoolchildren of Deployed Soldiers Act, which would prevent any child from being penalized financially or educationally because a parent's military services prompts a change in residence.

In 2005, the Lt. Governor responded to concerns raised by lllinois families who had been told that wounded soldiers at military medical facilities could not receive gifts worth more than $20 from outside organizations, as those would technically violate the military Joint Ethics Regulations gift ban. After the Lt. Governor's office intervened, the Department of Defense reassured the families that gifts to wounded servicemembers were both legal and welcome. Afterward, Lt. Gov. Quinn's office worked with the Defense Department to amend the federal law to clarify the gift policy permanently.

The Lt. Governor joined Illinois' largest utility companies, including SBC, Commonwealth Edison, Peoples Energy, Nicor Gas, Ameren Corporation, and lllinois Power, to announce consumer initiatives to help military families cope with their utility bills. Under the plan, late fees and interest charges are waived for military families. The companies also offered cash stipends, interest free deferred payment plans and extended payment due dates to families of active duty military personnel. In addition, five major lllinois utility companies donated a total of $25,000 to the lllinois Military Family Relief Fund.

In November 2005, Lt. Gov. Quinn welcomed 28 severely wounded servicemembers at the Chicago Bulls home opener. The wounded servicemembers were visiting Chicago from Brooke Army Medical Center for a few days of rest and relaxation.

Lt. Gov. Quinn presented awards to the winners of the statewide "U.S. Cellular Coloring Contest," children whose parents or other close relatives are serving in the military. The children drew pictures illustrating why they are proud to have a family member serving our country. The winners received U.S. Savings Bonds, and the top 12 drawings were included in the 2005 0perationHomeFront.org calendar. Proceeds from the calendar's sale benefited the lllinois Military Families Relief Fund.

Lt. Gov. Quinn also has joined forces with a wide range of private and not-for-profit groups working to assist active members of the military and their families, including: Operation Support Our Troops, a group organized by military mothers, to help them send cards and "care packages" to troops overseas.

Salute, Inc., an Arlington Heights-based non-profit organization dedicated to increasing awareness of issues facing Illinois' active and veteran military personnel.

Operation Hero Miles, which uses donated frequent flyer miles to allow troops stationed in lraq or Afghanistan to fly home on leave for free, and also provides free plane tickets allowing family members to visit wounded servicemen and women recovering at military hospitals across the country.

Freedom Calls Foundation, which provides phone,lnternet, e-mail and video conferencing services to soldiers overseas, allowing them to communicate with their families and loved ones at no charge.

Helping Our Heroes, a program to help families of active-duty military facing foreclosure or eviction.

For the Fallen, a Chicago-based organization which provides cash grants to the families of soldiers killed or severely wounded in lraq and Afghanistan.

Veterans Ride, a motorcycle event fundraiser to collect money, clothing and food for residents of the Manteno Veterans Home.

Valentines for Veterans, a statewide effort to send Valentine's Day cards to hospitalized Illinois veterans.

Ring in the Holidays, a contest sponsored by the US0 of Illinois, offering a diamond ring to the military husband on active duty who wrote the best essay on how his wife's love and support had changed his life.

Soldier Ride, a cross-country cycling event to aid in the rehabilitation of military men and women wounded overseas.

Lt. Gov. Quinn and his office have worked to provide additional private support to more than 200 individual military families in need. For example:

The Lt. Governor led the campaign to assist the family of disabled Vietnam veteran Jesse Alcozer, whose home was destroyed by fire just five weeks after his son, Army PFC Christopher Alcozer, was killed in Iraq. The Alcozer family received more than $400,000 in private donations, and their house was remodeled at cost by the T-Squared Construction Company.

In 2004, U.S. Marine Sgt. Josh Horton was lying wounded in a hospital room recovering from injuries suffered in Baghdad while his wife, Taunacy, gave birth to quintuplets. To assist the Aurora family, Lt. Gov. Quinn's office helped to arrange private donations ranging from 25,000 diapers to a five-bedroom house and van.

With the assistance of the Lt. Governor's office, the wife and three young children of Illinois National Guard member Damon Clemons received private donations of holiday gifts, rental assistance and a new car in 2003. The car, donated by Barnes Auto Group, replaced a vehicle that had been repossessed after Clemons was called up to active duty in Iraq.

The Lt. Governor joined in efforts to raise funds and buy a handicapped accessible home in Wheaton for U.S. Army Sgt. Joel Gomez, who was paralyzed from the neck down when he injured while fighting in Baghdad in 2004.

The Lt. Governor's office assisted in obtaining posthumous citizenship for Polishborn Marine Lance Cpl. Jakub Kowalik and Mexican-born Army Spc. Jaime Moreno. This action gave Moreno's widow the right to U.S. citizenship.

The Lt. Governor's office facilitated U.S. citizenship for British-born Sgt. Garath Mills of the lllinois National Guard and Marine Cpl. Matthew Prentice, and Mexican-born Spc. Javier Jimenez and Spc. Arthur Arrozal, both of the Illinois Army National Guard, before the men were shipped out to Iraq. The Lt. Governor's office also assisted in helping Philippines-born SPC Justin Villanueva of the Illinois Army National Guard in gaining U.S. citizenship after he returned home from serving overseas.

The Lt. Governor spoke to the John Marshall Law School class on Veteran’s

Memorials

The Lt. Governor has taken part in a number of community activities organized to honor and underscore the contributions of America's servicemembers.

For the past three years, Lt. Gov. Quinn has hosted the Gold Star Mothers Ceremony to honor lllinois mothers whose sons and daughters have died on active duty in the Global War on Terrorism. At the ceremony, the Lt. Governor presented bereaved mothers with Gold Star Banners, a tradition of public honor and reverence that dates back to World War I. The Lt. Governor also helped to pass a new state law providing a reduced fee for Gold Star Mothers' license plates.

In June 2004, Lt. Gov. Quinn joined French Consul General Dominique Decherft at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield to honor D-Day veterans on the 60" anniversary of the Normandy landings.

In August 2004, Gov. Blagojevich and Lt. Gov. Quinn unveiled the Global War on Terrorism Memorial paying homage to every lllinois service member killed in action since Sept. 11. The memorial, the first of its kind in the nation, is now on permanent display at the Illinois Military Museum at Camp Lincoln in Springfield.

Lt. Gov. Quinn observed the third anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks by attending a ceremony at Great Lakes Naval Training Base honoring two lllinois servicemen who lost their lives in the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001.

In December 2004, Lt. Gov. Quinn formally dedicated the World War II Illinois Veterans Memorial at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield.

The Lt. Governor formally accepted a $50,000 grant from the McCormick Tribune Foundation, designated to provide uniforms for volunteer honor guards at the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood.

In May 2005, Lt. Gov. Quinn put out a call for quilters across lllinois to join the Home of the Brave Quilt Project, creating memorial quilts for the families of lllinois service men and women who have sacrificed their lives in the Global War on Terror.

In June 2005, the Lt. Governor joined 20,000 motorcyclists in the Third Annual lllinois Motorcycle Freedom Run, which honors the U.S. military members who have lost their lives in the Middle East.

In 2006, the Lt. Governor again joined in the lllinois Freedom Run at the Middle East Conflicts Wall Memorial in Marseilles.

In 2006, the Lt. Governor unveiled the Portrait of a Soldier memorial - a display of 124 portraits of lllinois soldiers killed in the Global War on Terror, created by 22-year old artist Cameron Schilling of Mattoon.

Lt. Gov. Quinn also has taken an active role in honoring and organizing lasting memorials to individual servicemen and women who have fallen in the Global War on Terror:

The Lt. Governor took part in a ceremony renaming a Champaign street to honor Marine Cpl. Nathaniel K. Moore.

Lt. Gov. Quinn has been involved with the annual SSGT Jacob Frazier Memorial Golf Outing, which raises money for college scholarships and donations to the lllinois Military Relief Fund.

The Lt. Governor helped to inaugurate the Marine Lance Cpl. Jonathan W. Collins Memorial 5k RunIMile Walk, to benefit a memorial fund in Collins' honor.

The Lt. Governor's office participated in the renaming of the U.S. Post Office in Malden, which now honors U.S. Army Sgt. Lincoln Hollinsaid, who lost his life in Baghdad.

Lt. Gov. Quinn took part in the ceremony renaming American Legion Post 888's reception hall in Northlake to honor Army Pvt. Christopher Alcozer.

The Lt. Governor helped to inaugurate the PFC Geoffrey Morris Memorial Governors Cup Fishing Invitational, which raises money for the lllinois Military Family Relief Fund.

Lt. Gov. Quinn was the keynote speaker at the dedication of the Heroes of Freedom Memorial site in Gurnee, to honor Marine Geoffrey Morris, Marine Lance Cpl. Sean Maher, and Army Spc. Wesley Wells.

The Lt. Governor joined in the dedication of a Soldier Memorial statue in Elk Grove Village to honor Marine Lance Cpl. Phillip E. Frank, Marine Cpl. John T. Olson, Army Spc. Adriana N. Salem and Air Force Capt. James Cronin.

Lt. Gov. Quinn joined in the dedication of a bridge in the Greene Valley Forest Preserve in Naperville to honor Marine Sgt. David M. Caruso.

Lt. Gov. Quinn presented a Gold Star banner to the stepmother of U.S. Army PFC Milton Olive II, a Chicagoan who was the first African American to win the Medal of Hcnor in the Vietnam war.

Homefront Hero Awards

The Lt. Governor has encouraged businesses and private individuals to support overseas troops and their families through the Homefront Hero Award program, recognizing lllinois citizens and corporations that have shown leadership and initiative in providing financial and other support. Award winners include:

• State Farm Insurance
• Koenig and Strey GMAC Home Services
• WXRT Radio
• LaSalle Bank
• Orbitz
• Northern Illinois University's Athletic Director Jim Phillips
• Vietnam Veterans of America, Illinois Chapter
• Women's Club of Fairbury, lllinois
• Local 705 International Brotherhood of Teamsters
• South Middle School, Arlington Heights
• Thomas Middle School, Arlington Heights
• Cloverleaf Bank
• Jackson Hewitt
• Sears
• Don Carter Lanes, Rockford
• SALUTE, Inc
• Disabled Patriot Fund
• Patriotic Pillows
• The Bogan Quarters
• Helmets to Hardhats
• The Yellow Rose Café in Chicago
• Compadres
• Dale Bishop and Ryan Bishop (son) of Litchfield, IL
• Heat Elite Allstars, Tumbling and Cheerleading
• Champaign Urbana Military Moms
• Daryl Allen of Springfield
• Mt. Greenwood Cemetery in Chicago
• Kathie Rush of Crestwood, IL
• Toys for Troops
• Elks Lodges of IL
• Lockport Loyal 4-H Club
• Jean Dansky of Chicago
• SEIU Local 73 Union Members
• Women of the Moose Chapter #392, of Mascoutah, IL
• Central IL Proud Families of Marines
• Decatur Operation Enduring Support
• Larry Pulley, of Springfield, IL
• Naperville Unit School District 203, Community Relations
• Dr. Hitesh Patel, The Art of Denistry, of Naperville, IL
• Dr. Cary Blumberg of Bensenville, IL
• Abbott Laboratories, Lake County, IL
• Mayor Linda Jackson, Village of Glendale Heights, IL
• Tinley Orland American Sewing Guild
• Macoupin County Military Support Group
• John Nickels of Libertyville, IL
• Navy ROTC - Wheeling Tonwnship High School District #214
• Willow Lake Estates Retirement Community
• Spirit of Life Choir, Des Plaines, IL
• Light of Christ Lutheran Church, Algonquin, IL

Other actions on behalf of military personnel, veterans and their families

The Lt. Governor visited troops in Iraq, Kuwait and Qatar over the New Year 2004 holiday. On the flight home, Lt. Gov. Quinn served as an honor guard escort for two soldiers killed in action.

Under SB1354, the Lt. Governor chairs Illinois' Interagency Military Base Support & Economic Development Committee

The Lt. Governor strongly supported HR286, a resolution urging the President and Congress to provide Filipino veterans with the benefits they deserve.

Lt. Gov. Quinn has taken part in numerous activation, deployment and homecoming ceremonies for lllinois National Guard and military reserve units statewide.

Honors and recognitions

The 88th RSC Command United States Army Reserves presented Lt Governor Pat Quinn an award for all his work in supporting Military Families and his work on the Illinois Military Family Relief Fund.

As recognition of his dedication to taking up the cause of Illinois' servicemen and women, Lt. Gov. Quinn received a letter of appreciation from Major General Douglas V. O'Dell Jr., the Commanding General, 4th Marine Division of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves.

The Illinois Chapter of the Reserve Officer Association honored Lt. Gov. Quinn with the Nathan Hale Award, is given to prominent elected and civil leaders to recognize outstanding and dedicated individual service in the interest of national security.

Christmas Cards for the Troop

In December of 2007 Lt. Governor Quinn initiated and operated the hugely successful drive for Christmas card drive for wounded servicemembers and members of the Armed Forces overseas. By reaching out to citizens all over Illinois, tens of thousands of cards poured in over the Holidays, and were distributed to deploying soldiers, soldiers serving in Germany, and many to the wounded in Chicago and Landstuhl, Germany.

Trips to Visit Illinois Troops Abroad

The Lt. Governor made two trips in 2007 to visit wounded Illinois servicemembers in Landstuhl, Germany. The Landstuhl Regional Medical Center is where wounded servicemembers are first brought from Iraq and Afghanistan in order to be stabilized and either sent back to the front lines, back to their US base, or sent to another medical facility for rehabilitation. He made it a point on both trips to recognize all of the Illinois servicemembers, from the wounded, to the staff, to soldiers stationed at other bases in the European region, for the hard work they do on behalf of the citizens back home.

Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children

The Lt. Governor worked hand in hand with the Council of State Governments and other military family advocacy groups to initiate Illinois’ involvement in the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children. By advocating for the state’s inclusion in the compact and taking the initiative to lead the task force to implement it’s policies, Lt. Gov Quinn demands that Illinois display the resolve necessary to ensure that our Armed Forces and their families are respect to the highest degree for their service.

Interstate Family Assistance Commission

The Lt Governor continues to show a commitment to the soldiers of Illinois by participating in the Interstate Family Assistance Commission throughout 2007. The group is designed to share best practices among all groups in Illinois that work to benefit military families. Some of the groups involved include

• 4 Military Families
• National Military Family Association
• IL National Guard Family Assistance Center
• US Army Reserve 88th Regional Readiness Command
• IL Department of Employment Security – Veterans Service Program
• Veterans of Foreign Wars
• Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve
• US Air Force Airman & Family Readiness Centers