As the fires of unrest slowly spread across the country, anarchy had slowly begun to consume Chicago, leaving Illinois in distress as Washington had begun to impose more and more jarring activity over the country. Past echoes from the previous few MAGA presidencies which were perceived as undermining the autonomy and rights of the states, eroded the trust between the states and the Federal government that had defined the Union, and that they had been pushed past the line of no return. Enough was enough. In the early 2040s, as the actions of D.C. had undermined the autonomy and rights of states, the Illinois state Government & Residents had decided to host a petition, and officially seceded from the United States, as they then dubbed themselves the Democratic State of Illinois. However, they did this without the approval of all 49 other states in the Union. This leaves one key problem: Their secession was illegal. The Federal government soon mobilized its military forces around the state, and the governor of Illinois soon mobilized the Illinois National Gaurd to deter any large offensive. As the civil war sparked in the 2040s, Illinois would be placed in an even worse juxtaposition. In the southern regions of the state, the heavily conservative counties decided to band together under one single ideological front against what they perceived as 'Liberal rule'. They had formed a unified regional belt, and rebelled against the D.S.I. government. This, along with Chicago falling into complete anarchy at this point, as well as the U.S. military's surrounding of the region, have put Illinois in a state of emergency, leaving it up to the National Gaurd to hold the line.

Due to being effectively cut off from the technological production of other states & the federal government, they lack the resources & means of maintaining their high tech uniforms, helmet gear, and optics given to them by the U.S. Army. To cut costs and account for this, the Troops of the Illinois National Gaurd are instead fitted with the classic, baggy OCP uniforms seen in the 2020s, with them having (relatively) far-tapered sleeves, inserted kneepads, and traditional open pockets. They use the same plate carriers as the Army, typically equipped with mid-high level ceramic plating. They also use Integrated Head Protection System helmets just like the Army, but due to their aforementioned circumstances, they use more old fashioned configurations, lacking alternate reality modifications, comms, and wolf war sensors, forcing them to rely primarily on radio communication, coordination with their fellow soldiers, and their own senses for battlefield awareness, as seen in previous decades. However, this leaves them eith the advantage that their infantry gear is not at risk of hacks, malfunctions, power drains, or cyberattacks, like seen with the Army. They still use the standard issue rifle previous given to them by the Army, being the M7, chambered in 6.8×51mm. While it maintains its built in supressor, rather than it being used with its corresponding smart optic, it is instead equipped with the Tango6t rifle scope. They are given 7 total 25-round magazines each, and are allotted basic medkits, and varying other types of utility items. 

Standard Issue Grunt for the Democratic State of Illinois