Illinois governor names Air Force officer as adjutant general

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Gov. J.B. Pritzker has named an Air Force officer to lead the Illinois National Guard.

The Democratic governor announced Wednesday that Illinois Air National Guard Col. Richard R. Neely of Springfield will be the state’s 40th adjutant general.

Neely will be promoted to brigadier general soon after assuming leadership duties Feb. 15.

The 33-year military veteran replaces Maj. Gen. Richard Hayes. Hayes has been adjutant general since 2015. He is retiring after more than 33 years of service.

Neely is just the second Air Force officer to lead the Illinois guard. The first was Maj. Gen. Harold Holesinger. He retired in 1991.

Most recently Neely was Air National Guard principal deputy director for operations and deputy director for cyber and space operations at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.

In Other News

As the VA secretary departs, focus remains on outreach, trust

VA care and benefits have seen signifcant growth in recent years, a trend that the outgoing secretary hopes will continue.

Advocates fear dismantling of DOD’s extremism prevention, DEI programs

Trump’s choice for defense secretary said DEI programs eroded the military's values and described anti-extremism policies as a "purge."

Opinion

Why the military’s approach to its suicide epidemic is failing

In this opinion piece, the chairman of Boulder Crest Foundation argues that current military suicide prevention efforts are falling short.

VA acknowledges significant errors in budget shortfall predictions

Department leaders had warned of funding gaps of up to $18 billion but now believe those estimates were too high.

Women in combat ‘proficient,’ SecDef says, dismissing calls for change

Austin praised women in the military and said they should not be removed from front-line fighting posts.

Load More