SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Twenty-five years after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks changed the nation and ushered in a generation of military service, Col. Jason P. Henderson marked the anniversary by reflecting on service and sacrifice as he reached a milestone of his own. Henderson, a more than 34-year veteran of the Illinois Army National Guard, was promoted to colonel during a ceremony at the Illinois Military Academy in Springfield, Illinois, September 11, 2026.
During the ceremony, Henderson recognized those whose lives and service were shaped by the attacks.
“I’d be remiss today if I didn’t say a thank you to all the first responders that responded to the terrorist attacks 25 years ago today,” Henderson said. He also recognized the military personnel and families “who have carried the torch over the last 25 years.”
Henderson is among those whose military career spans both sides of Sept. 11. He joined the Illinois Army National Guard in 1993 as an enlisted artillery cannon crewmember and rose to sergeant first class before receiving a direct commission in 2003. He initially commissioned as an artillery officer before transitioning to Army aviation. His first officer assignment was as an aviation platoon leader with Company A, 1st Battalion, 106th Aviation Regiment.
A qualified Army aviator, Henderson has flown UH-60 Black Hawk, OH-58 Kiowa and TH-67 Creek helicopters. His military education includes the Aviation Officer Basic Course, Aviation Captains Career Course, Combined Arms and Services Staff School, Intermediate Level Education and Advanced Officer Course.
His service during the post-9/11 era included the Southwest Border Mission in 2007 and a deployment to Iraq from January 2009 to February 2010 with Aviation Task Force Diablo, where he served as a company commander. His career also included domestic response missions supporting Illinois flood duties in 2000 and Hurricane Irene in 2012.
Brig. Gen. Lenny Williams, Assistant Adjutant General and Commander of the Illinois Army National Guard, presided over the promotion ceremony and described three qualities that have defined Henderson’s career: leadership, credibility and respect.
“Soldiers follow Jason, period,” Williams said. “He’s earned the credibility across every single rank in this organization through his selfless, lead-from-the-front style of leadership.”
Williams said Henderson has earned the respect of Soldiers throughout the organization not only because of how he conducts himself, but because of his commitment to those he leads.
“He’s a Soldier’s leader,” Williams said. “He’ll always put their needs above his own.”
Throughout his career, Henderson has served in numerous command and staff positions, including battalion S-1, battalion S-3, battalion executive officer, company commander and battalion commander. He also served as the M-Day State Army Aviation Officer for four years before transitioning to the Illinois Army National Guard G-7.
Henderson’s promotion to colonel was supported by his wife, Joy, and their children, Dylan, Charlie and Ryan.
“A rising tide lifts all boats,” Henderson said. “What that means to me is, in life, you don’t really get anywhere all by yourself.”
He thanked his wife for supporting him throughout their 22 years together and recognized his children, mother and other family members. Henderson also remembered his late father, whom he described as his “North Star” and someone who always knew what was right.
Henderson’s service to Illinois has also extended beyond the National Guard. Henderson served more than 25 years with the Illinois State Police, retiring as the Zone 5 Division of Criminal Investigation commander. The Illinois State Police’s Zone 5 is based in Champaign and serves Champaign, Coles, DeWitt, Douglas, Edgar, Ford, Iroquois, Livingston, Macon, McLean, Moultrie, Piatt, Shelby, and Vermillion counties. He earned a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in criminal justice from Western Illinois University.
For Henderson, reaching colonel represents another chapter in a military career that began eight years before the Sept. 11 attacks and continued through the quarter century of military service and sacrifice that followed.
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