Eighteen members of the Illinois Air National Guard Security Forces are returning from a seven-month deployment to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
The Illinois National Guard says men and women of the 182nd Airlift Wing are scheduled to return Monday. They were responsible for law enforcement and security missions overseas.
Col. William P. Robertson says the Security Forces unit completed its mission in an "outstanding manner." Security Forces leadership says the unit boosted the security infrastructure and built relationships with host-nation military forces.
The Airmen are scheduled to arrive at Gen. Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport at 10 p.m.
AP
NBC Chicago salutes the men and women in the armed forces who have died in combat.
Sgt. Dean Shaffer was among four soldiers killed in April 2012 when the Black Hawk helicopter they were in crashed.
Marine Cpl. Alex Martinez, 21, of Elgin, died in April 2012 in Afghanistan's Helmand Province .
Marine Cpl. Conner Lowry, 24, was killed in March 2012 . He was a gunner on a Humvee when he was killed. His family said Lowry was electrocuted.
U.S. Army
U.S. Army Spec. Ricardo Cerros Jr., 24, of Gary, Ind., was killed in Afghanistan Oct. 8. He was the only casualty after insurgents attacked his unit, resulting in a firefight .
Facebook
Spc. James A. Butz, 21, of Porter, was reportedly treating an injured soldier when their truck was hit by a roadside bomb .
Captain Jeffrey Bland and Lt. Thomas Heitmann were killed in a Marine helicopter crash in San Diego . (Photo courtesy Fox5SanDiego.com)
Oklahoma National Guard
Spc. Augustus Vicari, 22 of Lowell, Ind., was killed July 29 in an explosion while patrolling in Janak Kheyl, Afghanistan. Vicari was part of the Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 279th Infantry, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.
Michael Olivieri, 26, died in an indirect base fire attack June 6 in Iraq. He deployed in November 2010 to support Operation New Dawn. He joined the army in January 2010, and was one of five members of the 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team to fall in the attack.
NBCChicago.com
Lance Cpl James Stack with his wife, Katie, and daughter Mikayla. Stack was killed on Nov. 10, 2010 -- the Marine Corps' 235th birthday -- while on foot patrol on Afghanistan's Helmand Province .
Andrew P. Wade, 22, from Antioch, was killed during a non-combat incident in Afghanistan on March 9, 2011 .
Monterey County SPCA
Pfc. Andrew N. Meari, of Plainfield, was one of two soldiers killed in Kandahar, Afghanistan when insurgents attacked his unit with an explosive device. (AP Photo/U.S. Army)
RTV
Spc. James C. Young, 25, of Rochester, died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device.
Senior Airman Daniel Johnson, of Schiller Park, was killed in October when insurgents attacked his unit with an explosive device.
Family Photo
Marine Lance Cpl. Alec E. Catherwood, of Byron, died while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
DOD
Staff Sgt. Joshua D. Powell, of Pleasant Plains, Ill.; and Sgt. Marvin R. Calhoun Jr., of Elkhart, Ind., were killed September in a helicopter crash in Southern Afghansitan.
Getty Images
Sgt. 1st Class Edgar Roberts, of Park Forrest, was injured during a roadside explosion in June and his parents had been told he was killed although he was recovering in ICU. Roberts later died from his injuries in August.
Gannett Government Media
Sgt. Anibal Santiago, of Belvidere Ill., was killed in July in Kwowst, Afghanistan, during a noncombat related incident.
Gannett Government Media
Staff Sgt. Christopher J. Antonik, of Crystal Lake, was killed this July in combat. He was serving his first tour in Afghanistan after serving two tours in Iraq.
Army Ranger, Spc. Joseph Whiting Dimock II, of Lake County was killed this July in Afghanistan during an explosion at an ammunition holding facility during an inventory check.
Army Spc. Kyle J. Wright, 22, was killed Jan. 12, 2010 when his vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan.
