Published: January 06, 2009 09:20 am      

New guard member

Dawn Renee Bedar has become the newest member of the Illinois National Guard. Bedar, daughter of Cynthia L. Bedar of Mt. Vernon and Charles M. Bedar of DuQuion, is a student at Mt. Vernon Township High School and enlisted on Dec. 22, 2008, as a health care specialist. Bedar’s unit will be the 233RD Military Police Company, located at Camp Lincoln in Springfield. She will later be attached to Company Foxtrot, 634th Brigade Support Batalion located in Mt. Vernon. Bedar is scheduled to attend 10 weeks of basic combat training in August 2009 at Ft. Jackson, S.C. After graduating boot camp, she will attend advanced individual training at Ft. Sam Houston, Texas for 18 weeks where she will receive training as a health care specialist. Bedar plans to attend college to pursue a degree in nursing through the Illinois Army National Guard’s 100 percent Tuition Program, G.I. Bill and G.I. Bill Kicker Program, a $20,000 dollar enlistment bonus, college credits for her military training and other programs.