A progressive anti-war group has paid for 11 Chicago-area billboards that question the deployment of National Guard troops and provide a link to legal resources for service members who might want to opt out.
The billboards read: “Army National Guard. You joined to serve your community. So what are you doing in Chicago?” It also leads to a website at notwhatyousignedupfor.org, which leads to resources for service members. A link to the GI Rights Hotline gives service members counseling “on their legal rights and discharge options including conscientious objector status.”
The billboards are paid for by Win Without War, a grassroots organization that “prioritizes human security and diplomacy before war.” They began appearing in Chicago Oct. 14. The group has also placed billboards outside Fort Bragg in North Carolina and its message on mobile billboards in Washington, D.C.
The deployment of troops in Illinois is on hold, at least for now. But the Trump administration on Friday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene in the president’s legal battle with Illinois and Chicago, seeking an order that would let President Donald Trump continue the deployment of hundreds of Illinois and Texas National Guard troops he ordered earlier this month.
“Essentially for us, when we saw the Trump administration start deploying National Guard and U.S. service members against their own citizens, it was really a moment where we wanted the troops to know that someone has their back. Because the Trump administration clearly doesn’t, and obviously troops didn’t sign up to fight Trump’s war in American cities,” said Sara Haghdoosti, executive director of Win Without War. “As we saw things escalating in Chicago, we really wanted to make sure that message was loud and clear here, too.”
Haghdoosti said the website directs service members to three different organizations: the GI Rights Hotline, the National Lawyers’ Guild Military Law Task Force and a veterans group called About Face.
“Each situation is different. Different folks, depending on their rank and where they are, will have different options,” Haghdoosti said. “But again, there is a number of pathways and resources available that current service members should be aware of.”
Asked to respond to the billboards, Illinois National Guard Lt. Col. Brad Leighton defended the role of guards in Chicago, saying in an email, “We’ve always been in Chicago and will be in Chicago long after the current events subside.” Leighton said Illinois National Guard recruiting has increased by 17% over the last year. The Illinois Air National Guard saw a recruiting increase by 30% over fiscal year 2024, he said.
“To me personally, the signs are kind of silly and don’t really show an understanding of the National Guard,” Leighton said. “‘So what are you doing in Chicago?’ Well, many of our Soldiers and Airmen live and work in Chicago. In addition, we have two armories within the city and many more around the city where hundreds of our soldiers train. We’ve been part of the community in Chicago for more than 200 years and have a history in Illinois that predates the state itself.”