Effingham, Il – Illinois State Police (ISP) Officials will welcome 61 cadets to the ranks of the ISP. Illinois State Police Director Leo P. Schmitz will formally address Cadet Class 126, followed by the oath of an officer ceremony.
The new troopers will be assigned to districts throughout the state beginning Tuesday, December 26, 2017.
Today’s graduation of Cadet Class 126 marks the first cadet class this year.
It is the fifth class to graduate under a new law that allows veterans who have been awarded an Afghan or Iraqi campaign medal by the U.S. military to apply without having earned a college degree.
Twenty of the new troopers are veterans hired under the new law.
The Academy’s formal “Bell Ringing Ceremony” will take place at 9:30 a.m., which provides families and Troopers with a glimpse into the tradition and honor of an ISP Trooper.