Jul 19, 2009 9:59 pm US/Central
Quinn Meets Troops, Including Neighbor, Overseas
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn met with American military service members during a weekend visit to the Middle East.
Illinois governor's office
Whether it's in Afghanistan or Iraq, families of troops live ever day knowing that their loved ones are in harm's way.
That's why Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has long been a champion of American servicemen and women and their families, and he's in the Middle East right now.
CBS 2's Pamela Jones reports what's on his mind as he meets with Illinois soldiers.
He's some 7,000 miles from Chicago. And he's toured Taji, Iraq and Baghdad. Quinn says he wants to make sure troops have what they need abroad and when they come back home.
Last week, the governor approved a budget that forces cuts of up to 15 percent in some grant programs, but he says veteran's programs won't get touched.
"This is an arduous, difficult, hard assignment, and they've carried it out with great distinction," Quinn told CBS 2 via satellite.
He offered words of praise while he visited U.S. troops thousands of miles from home. Many are from Illinois.
"(We have) 3,200 men and women from our Illinois National Guard are over in Afghanistan," Quinn said. "It's the largest deployment since World War II. But here in Iraq, we have hundreds of Guard members."
During his trip, Quinn promised service members headed back home to Illinois will have the resources they need to thrive -- regardless of budget cuts in the state.
"There are certain priorities that we cannot cut," he said. "Answering the call to duty to go to places like Iraq or Afghanistan or really some of these other hot spots across the world -- when those soldiers come home, we've got to be there for them."
Willie Howery's son Cortez is serving with the Air Force in Kuwait. And the airman's family lives right across the street from the governor's home in Chicago.
It turns out, Quinn recognized Howery's familiar face today while having dinner with service members in Kuwait.
"I … looked across the table, and there's a young man, Airman Howery, who lives across the street from my house on the West Side of Chicago," the governor said. "So it's a small world."
Airman Howery's dad says he's interested in the governor's ideas on creating jobs for members of the military who return home to Illinois. In the Howery family, you have two choices when you get out of high school: college or military service.
But the family says those who choose the service need options that match their skills when they transition to civilian life.
Quinn says the state's fiscal stimulus plan is putting some $31 billion toward infrastructure and other programs, and veterans should get some of those jobs.
Quinn made the surprise trip to Iraq and Kuwait along with four other U.S. governors. He left Friday morning from Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington before meeting Saturday in Baghdad with U.S. military leaders, including Gen. Ray Odierno, the top U.S. commander in Iraq.
From there, Quinn said, the delegation had lunch and meetings with soldiers. He said the group continued to visit soldiers on Sunday and held a town hall meeting to take their questions.
Specific information, including Quinn's plans for returning to Illinois, were not disclosed for security reasons.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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