Governor Quinn Appoints New Adjutant General of the Illinois National Guard

SPRINGFIELD - Governor Pat Quinn today named Daniel M. Krumrei as the new Adjutant General of the Illinois National Guard and Director of the Department of Military Affairs. The former Colonel has served as Command Staff Chaplain for the Illinois Army National Guard since 2005 and has been instrumental in fulfilling Governor Quinn's longtime commitment to serving Veterans and their families.

"General Krumrei has served in the National Guard for more than 35 years and has made it his mission to ensure that our servicemembers get the support they need to be successful in the military and in their civilian lives," Governor Quinn said. "His extensive experience at all levels of the Guard and with people of all faiths will be invaluable as we work to keep the Illinois National Guard the most effective force in the nation."

Krumrei (pronounced KRUM-ROY) joined the National Guard in 1977 and has held all ranks from private to colonel, serving in a wide variety of roles including field artillery, nuclear/biological/chemical weapons specialist, and chaplain. Since joining the Illinois Army National Guard (ILNG) in 1992 as a chaplain, he has helped make assisting servicemembers and their families a priority of the ILNG. He has built strong relationships with the faith and mental-health communities that work with Guard members before, during and after deployments by implementing models of support that are celebrated and imitated nationwide. Krumrei will lead the ILNG at a time when more servicemembers are returning home permanently from overseas deployments, heightening the need for transition services such as job training and counseling.

"Over the last three decades, I have had the privilege of counseling thousands of servicemembers and have built a deep understanding of the challenges facing our soldiers and airmen - their struggles with transitioning, with family, and with balancing civilian work and military requirements," Krumrei said. "Like them, I know personally what it is to leave your family, your friends, your community, and your job for the combat theater. I am grateful to Governor Quinn for this opportunity to lead our National Guard, and to help our National Guardsmen meet every challenge they encounter with courage and confidence."

General Krumrei holds a master's degree in strategic studies from the Army War College and a Master's of Divinity from Phillips Graduate Seminary, as well as numerous service awards and decorations. Among these is the Kuwait Liberation Medal, earned during a deployment to Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Storm. As a civilian, he has served as senior pastor of the Parkway Christian Church - Disciples of Christ in Springfield since 1998. Krumrei resides in Springfield with his wife Sue, an art teacher at Franklin Middle School. They are the parents of three adult children - Ben, Kate and Jessi.