DECATUR, IL (04/01/2011)(readMedia)-- Lt. Col. Randy Sikowski of Decatur was a shadow on the tough streets - blending into the grit, the dirt, the scum - of drug dealers and gangs. He was immersed in the underworld of crack cocaine, heroin, amphetamines, Special K, and meth.
"Working undercover is a difficult job," Sikowski said. "You are always at the beckon call of criminals who maintain no normal schedules and who possess no moral character."
As an Illinois National Guard Soldier, Sikowski would trade in the street clothes of his job as an undercover narcotics sergeant with the Decatur Police Department to don the flight suit of a Blackhawk pilot in the 1st Battalion, 106th Aviation Regiment. His service included a tour in Iraq.
The company he keeps with the Illinois National Guard is far better than on the city streets.
"My fondest memories in Iraq are of serving with the professional Soldiers of the National Guard," said Sikowski, who is now on leave from the Decatur police to serve as the Illinois Army Guard's full-time State Aviation Officer and Commander of the 1-106th in Peoria. The performance of National Guard aviators was unparalleled in theater, he said.
Sikowski has been serving in the Army National Guard for 26 years. He enlisted with the Minnesota Army National Guard, before moving to Illinois and transferring to the Illinois Army National Guard in 1988. He has been an officer with the Decatur Police Department for 22 years while serving in the military. He worked his way through the department eventually becoming an undercover narcotics sergeant. He was in charge of a 12-man multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force.
Sikowski said it would take months, sometimes years, to watch cases come full circle. The objective was to build a strong case that would hold up in court. Although associating with the dregs of society was tough, undercover work had its rewards.
"I was able to see the effects of illegal drugs on both individuals and society as a whole," Sikowski said. "To be capable of enforcing the drug laws and actually putting people in jail who preyed upon society as drug dealers was very rewarding."
As an Army aviator, Sikowski has been part of several different missions. He was deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in January 2004. He was the training and operations officer of Task Force Eagle which consisted of approximately 500 Soldiers and 44 aircraft. He planned all movements and deployments of the task force. Sikowski was also responsible for mobilization preparation for the Soldiers in the task force.
Sikowski has also been part of several two-week missions to different countries during his time in a military uniform. Some memorable missions include Honduras, Iceland and El Salvador. He has also responded in relief of many recent hurricanes and other natural events.
"During the floods we were able to rescue people and get them to safety," Sikowski said. "During the hurricanes, we were able to transport people out of the path of destruction. During the oil spill, we were able to transport sand bags to protected areas to keep the oil from destroying wetlands. During the war, we provided much needed air transportation to both combat forces actively seeking the enemy, and support forces that needed to safely traverse the battle space."
In some ways, Sikowski's jobs as a police officer and Army aviator aren't all that different. Both focus on protecting people. And, as the Illinois Guard's State Aviation Officer, Sikowski oversees Detachment 1 of C Co., 1st Battalion, 376th Aviation Battalion, which works with law enforcement on counterdrug operations.
With his two different careers, Sikowski has had one mission: serving others. He is scheduled to deploy again with approximately 350 Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 106th Aviation Regiment, in support of Operation New Dawn, formerly Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2012.
"I am excited about the next deployment," Sikowski said. "Illinois aviation is a strong professional community with some of the best aviators in the country."
Photo by Staff Sgt. Kassidy Snyder, Illinois National Guard Public Affairs/ Lt. Col. Randy Sikowski, a member of the Illinois Army National Guard, has spend more than two decades in civilian law enforcement. His careers in the military and civilian law enforcement have been dedicated to serving the citizens of Illinois
"Working undercover is a difficult job," Sikowski said. "You are always at the beckon call of criminals who maintain no normal schedules and who possess no moral character."
As an Illinois National Guard Soldier, Sikowski would trade in the street clothes of his job as an undercover narcotics sergeant with the Decatur Police Department to don the flight suit of a Blackhawk pilot in the 1st Battalion, 106th Aviation Regiment. His service included a tour in Iraq.
The company he keeps with the Illinois National Guard is far better than on the city streets.
"My fondest memories in Iraq are of serving with the professional Soldiers of the National Guard," said Sikowski, who is now on leave from the Decatur police to serve as the Illinois Army Guard's full-time State Aviation Officer and Commander of the 1-106th in Peoria. The performance of National Guard aviators was unparalleled in theater, he said.
Sikowski has been serving in the Army National Guard for 26 years. He enlisted with the Minnesota Army National Guard, before moving to Illinois and transferring to the Illinois Army National Guard in 1988. He has been an officer with the Decatur Police Department for 22 years while serving in the military. He worked his way through the department eventually becoming an undercover narcotics sergeant. He was in charge of a 12-man multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force.
Sikowski said it would take months, sometimes years, to watch cases come full circle. The objective was to build a strong case that would hold up in court. Although associating with the dregs of society was tough, undercover work had its rewards.
"I was able to see the effects of illegal drugs on both individuals and society as a whole," Sikowski said. "To be capable of enforcing the drug laws and actually putting people in jail who preyed upon society as drug dealers was very rewarding."
As an Army aviator, Sikowski has been part of several different missions. He was deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in January 2004. He was the training and operations officer of Task Force Eagle which consisted of approximately 500 Soldiers and 44 aircraft. He planned all movements and deployments of the task force. Sikowski was also responsible for mobilization preparation for the Soldiers in the task force.
Sikowski has also been part of several two-week missions to different countries during his time in a military uniform. Some memorable missions include Honduras, Iceland and El Salvador. He has also responded in relief of many recent hurricanes and other natural events.
"During the floods we were able to rescue people and get them to safety," Sikowski said. "During the hurricanes, we were able to transport people out of the path of destruction. During the oil spill, we were able to transport sand bags to protected areas to keep the oil from destroying wetlands. During the war, we provided much needed air transportation to both combat forces actively seeking the enemy, and support forces that needed to safely traverse the battle space."
In some ways, Sikowski's jobs as a police officer and Army aviator aren't all that different. Both focus on protecting people. And, as the Illinois Guard's State Aviation Officer, Sikowski oversees Detachment 1 of C Co., 1st Battalion, 376th Aviation Battalion, which works with law enforcement on counterdrug operations.
With his two different careers, Sikowski has had one mission: serving others. He is scheduled to deploy again with approximately 350 Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 106th Aviation Regiment, in support of Operation New Dawn, formerly Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2012.
"I am excited about the next deployment," Sikowski said. "Illinois aviation is a strong professional community with some of the best aviators in the country."
Photo by Staff Sgt. Kassidy Snyder, Illinois National Guard Public Affairs/ Lt. Col. Randy Sikowski, a member of the Illinois Army National Guard, has spend more than two decades in civilian law enforcement. His careers in the military and civilian law enforcement have been dedicated to serving the citizens of Illinois
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