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1 SENATE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened
3 to learn of the death of former Mayor of Charleston and
4 Brigadier General Roscoe McDaniel "Dan" Cougill, U.S. Air
5 Force (Ret.), who passed away on January 18, 2025; and
6 WHEREAS, Brig. Gen. Cougill, the son of Oral and Emaline
7 (Vaughn) Cougill, was born in Charleston on October 24, 1941;
8 he graduated from Charleston High School in 1959; he earned
9 his Bachelor of Science in Education from Eastern Illinois
10 University in 1963; he married Sallie A. Carrow in Robinson on
11 February 15, 1969; he earned his Master of Science in Guidance
12 and Counseling from Troy State University in Troy, Alabama in
13 1976; and
14 WHEREAS, Brig. Gen. Cougill taught math in Byron for a
15 year before joining the U.S. Air Force in August 1964; he
16 graduated from Officer Training School at Lackland Air Force
17 Base (AFB), Texas in November 1964; he took his first military
18 assignment with Strategic Air Command at Little Rock AFB,
19 Arkansas; after completing the Basic Communications Officer
20 Course at Keesler AFB, Mississippi in December 1965, he was
21 assigned to the 825th Communications Squadron at Little Rock
22 AFB, Arkansas, where he served as chief of operations and
23 launch enable systems control officer on the Titan missile
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1 system; he transferred to the 392nd Communications Squadron as
2 chief of operations at Vandenberg AFB, California in June
3 1967; he became chief of operations for the 27th
4 Communications Squadron at Andersen AFB, Guam in July 1968,
5 with additional duties as officer-in-charge of two operating
6 air base locations at Da Nang and Bien Hoa, the Republic of
7 Vietnam; and
8 WHEREAS, Upon completion of the Communications Staff
9 Officer Course at Keesler AFB, Mississippi in February 1971,
10 Brig. Gen. Cougill assumed command of the 2052nd
11 Communications Squadron; he was assigned as an action officer
12 in July 1973, where he was responsible for European plans in
13 the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans, Air Force
14 Communications Service Headquarters at Richards-Gebaur AFB,
15 Missouri; after graduating from Air Command and Staff College
16 at Maxwell AFB, Alabama in July 1976, he was assigned to U.S.
17 Air Force Headquarters, Washington, D.C., first serving as an
18 action officer for mobile communications and war plans before
19 then serving as executive officer in the Directorate of
20 Command, Control and Telecommunications; and
21 WHEREAS, Brig. Gen. Cougill graduated from the U.S. Army
22 War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania in July 1981; he then
23 assumed command of the 2179th Communications Group at Patrick
24 AFB, Florida; in June 1983, he became executive officer of the
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1 Command, Control and Communications Division, International
2 Military Staff, NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium; he
3 returned to the United States as deputy director for plans,
4 policy and programming, Assistant Chief of Staff, Information
5 Systems, Air Force Headquarters in July 1985, becoming
6 director in July 1986; he was assigned chief of staff of Air
7 Force Communications Command Headquarters at Scott AFB,
8 Illinois in October 1986; he became deputy assistant chief of
9 staff under Systems for Command, Control, Communications and
10 Computers at Air Force Headquarters in May 1988; in his final
11 assignment, he served as director under General H. Norman
12 Schwarzkopf of Command, Control, Communications and Computer
13 Systems, U.S. Central Command at MacDill AFB, Florida in May
14 1989; in that position, he organized the largest
15 "from-scratch" communications buildup in history, an
16 accomplishment that successfully integrated the communications
17 networks of all U.S. military branches, as well as those of the
18 multinational coalition, for the first time, contributing to
19 the overwhelming military success of Operation Desert Storm;
20 he was promoted to brigadier general on September 1, 1989,
21 retiring in 1992; and
22 WHEREAS, Brig. Gen. Cougill received a number of
23 decorations and awards during his military career, including
24 the Legion of Merit, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal,
25 the Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters, and
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1 the Air Force Commendation Medal; and
2 WHEREAS, Upon his retirement, Brig. Gen. Cougill returned
3 to Charleston, the community that raised him, where he
4 honorably served as mayor for three terms; and
5 WHEREAS, Brig. Gen. Cougill was a member of Charleston
6 Baptist Church and VFW Post 1592; he deeply loved music and was
7 a member of the Charleston Community Band; in his free time, he
8 enjoyed tending to his wooded property south of town and
9 befriending the many deer, birds, and other "critters" who
10 lived there; he also adored visiting with his grandchildren;
11 and
12 WHEREAS, Brig. Gen. Cougill was preceded in death by his
13 parents and his sister, Susan Cougill; and
14 WHEREAS, Brig. Gen. Cougill is survived by his wife of 55
15 years, Sallie A. Cougill; his sons, Andrew A. (Elizabeth)
16 Cougill and Christopher M. (Ann) Cougill; four grandchildren;
17 and his sister, Sarah Cougill; therefore, be it
18 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL
19 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
20 former Mayor of Charleston and Brigadier General Roscoe
21 McDaniel "Dan" Cougill, U.S. Air Force (Ret.) and extend our
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1 sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew
2 and loved him; and be it further
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