Enlisted Association of the National Guard of Montana

EANGUS legislative priorities make progress in Congress

Elizabeth Moseley — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 19:49:37 +0000

Last week’s State Presidents and Legislative Workshops provided EANGUS members from across the nation an opportunity to learn, network, and embody the mission of the association through advocacy in Washington, D.C.

The workshops were followed by visits to Capitol Hill, where EANGUS members engaged with their elected representatives and spread the word about our legislative priorities.

This work pays off. Two of the association’s top priorities were introduced in the 119th Congress last week, which means the Enlisted voice is being heard.

The Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act was reintroduced by Rep. Mike Levin (D-CA), Rep. Trent Kelly (R-Miss.), and House Veterans Affairs Committee Ranking Member Mark Takano (D-CA). The bipartisan bill and its Senate companion are supported by many military service organizations including EANGUS.

The bill aims to ensure that members of the Guard and Reserves receive credit toward Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits for every day in uniform, including drills, trainings, and natural disaster responses.

“This legislation helps to right that shortfall by granting GI Bill parity for the Guard. Every day in uniform counts! It should count for educational benefits as well, including its retroactivity to 9/11. The Enlisted Association of the National Guard wholeheartedly supports this legislation and seeks for its swift passage,” said CSM (Retired) Robert “Bob” Sweeney, President, Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States.

Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) has reintroduced the Guarding Readiness Resources Act with Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), which addresses longstanding disparities in federal reimbursements for state-directed missions. Both EANGUS, NGAUS, and Congress members on both sides of the aisle support this bill that would alleviate funding gaps

“EANGUS stands ready to work alongside Senator Lee and other congressional leaders to advance this bill. Our members, the backbone of the National Guard, deserve nothing less than full recognition and fair treatment for their dedication to our nation,” said EANGUS Vice President Josh Baker in a press release.

These bills represent not only the continued payoff of our advocacy on Capitol Hill, but the dedication and resolve of our association’s members. For more resources from the 2025 Presidents & Legislative Workshops, including presentations, white papers, and photos, visit eangus.org/2025-state-presidents-legislative-workshops/.

(Pictured L-R) EANGUS Legislative Chair Jeremy Thompson, Militia Award recipient Ali Feinswog, Interim Executive Director Frank Yoakum, and Vice President Josh Baker at the 2025 EANGUS Legislative Awards Reception

National Office Update: Interim Executive Director

Joshua Baker — Thu, 06 Feb 2025 21:16:48 +0000

The Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States (EANGUS) is pleased to announce the appointment of Sergeant Major (Retired) Frank Yoakum as the Interim Executive Director.

Sergeant Major Yoakum has dedicated a lifetime of service to the nation, serving over 31 years in the U.S. Army and Army National Guard before retiring in 2006. He has been affiliated with EANGUS for the past 22 years in various paid and volunteer capacities and is a Life Member of both EANGUS and the Wyoming National Guard Association.

As Interim Executive Director, Yoakum’s primary focus will be to lead the upcoming 2025 Presidents & Legislative Workshops, hosted by the EANGUS National Office in late February. His leadership will ensure a successful event and advance EANGUS’s ongoing advocacy efforts for the National Guard community.

EANGUS would also like to extend our sincere gratitude to Bryan Birch for his tremendous service as the Interim Executive Director. Bryan and our entire National Office Staff have performed admirably, taking on additional responsibilities, sacrificing personal time, and ensuring that the operations of EANGUS and our service to the State Associations were not only maintained but improved. We appreciate their dedication and hard work during this period of transition.

Please join us in welcoming Frank Yoakum back into this leadership role and in thanking Bryan Birch for his outstanding service. We look forward to continuing our mission of supporting and advocating for National Guard members and their families.

For any questions or further information, please contact the EANGUS National Office.

Announcing the “Guard Your Finances” Course

KAREN CRAIG — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 15:00:46 +0000

EANGUS and the National Guard Relief Foundation are excited to announce a new partnership with the USAA Educational Foundation to enhance the financial literacy of National Guard service members. A new online course titled “Guard Your Finances,” will be available on the Resources page of the EANGUS website on October 1, 2024.

This course, provided by the USAA Educational Foundation, is designed to equip National Guard members with essential financial management skills, helping them make informed decisions about their personal finances. During the course, which takes approximately one hour to complete, students will learn the importance of having a Financial Game Plan, and will learn how to Build a Budget, Save for Emergencies, and Manage Debt. Upon successful completion of the course, a certificate will be issued.

Additionally, effective October 1, 2024, National Guard members applying for an interest-free loan from the National Guard Relief Foundation will be REQUIRED to complete the “Guard Your Finances” course, and submit/upload their completed Budget Worksheet (provided in the course), as well as their course completion certificate, with their loan application. This course is recommended for anyone seeking financial assistance or training, but its completion is NOT required to apply for the S.A.R.G.E Grant at this time. Questions regarding the NGRF interest-free loan application process may be referred to the National Guard Relief Foundation Director at director@eangus-wcfa.org .

The National Guard Relief Foundation exists to help the men and women of the National Guard and their families who are facing financial hardships as a result of natural disasters, personal hardships, and catastrophic losses. The Foundation offers current, former, or retired National Guard members of all ranks the opportunity to apply for a Grant or Interest-Free Loan based on demonstrated and verified need. If you know a National Guard member in need of help, please review the attached NGRF Flyer at this LINK, or refer them to our website at www.eangus-wcfa.org If you’d like to help other National Guard members in need, we encourage you to make a tax-deductible donation on our website at www.eangus-wcfa.org/donation-3/

The USAA Educational Foundation offers free financial education resources from experts in personal finance and military life. As an educational foundation, they provide trusted information and do not endorse or sell any products. USAAEF empowers people to take actions that increase their financial resiliency and improve their quality of life. More information about the USAA Educational Foundation can be found on their website at: Military Financial Education – USAA Educational Foundation (usaaef.org)

Regarding launch of the new “Guard Your Finances” course, MSgt (Ret) Daniel Reilly, Chair of the National Guard Relief Foundation said, “We appreciate the support provided by the USAA Educational Foundation and believe this course will provide National Guard members with valuable financial knowledge while continuing to support their financial needs.”

Professional Development opportunities abound at the EANGUS Conference

Jeffrey Frisby — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 17:28:56 +0000

We receive a lot of questions as to whether it is proper to talk about professional associations during drill or in meetings. We asked NGB for a little help, and this is what they provided:

“As a general rule, membership in these organizations in a personal capacity is permitted by law and regulation, and National Guard members are free to join and participate in such organizations in their personal capacity. The Joint Ethics Regulation, DoD 5500.7-R, permits commanders and other leaders to provide factual information through official channels regarding membership in these organizations. However, in providing this information, commanders and leaders must ensure that membership in these organizations is a personal choice and is completely voluntary. Leaders may not conduct repeated orientations or meetings, keep lists of members, use membership statistics when evaluating a member’s duty performance, or otherwise explicitly or implicitly coerce National Guard members into joining these organizations. While leaders may discuss the general merits and benefits of joining and participating in private organizations without showing favoritism for one organization over another, such actions must be done within the limits of the standards of conduct principles discussed above.”

If you are looking for one document that answers every question in minute detail, you won’t find it here. The best advice we can give, beyond exerting a little leadership and interpreting the intent of what is provided, is to ask your State Ethics Advisor for their advice.

In addition to discussing or belonging to professional associations during drill, EANGUS sponsors professional development sessions at its annual conference and has been sponsoring such sessions for over two decades.

But what is professional development?

Professional development is the process of continuing education and training to help people develop new skills and stay current on trends in their careers. The goal is to help people advance in their field.

Professional development can include:

Taking classes or workshops
Attending conferences
Earning certificates
Reading research
Volunteering for new projects
On-the-job training
Improving soft skills

The five phases of professional development are:

Building a knowledge base
Observing models and examples
Reflecting on practice
Changing practice
Gaining and sharing expertise.

All of these phases are incorporated into the EANGUS Professional Development sessions.

EANGUS Professional Development is not only encouraged by Chief, National Guard Bureau, but use of government funds are authorized for those coming to the conference to be on active duty orders for that expressed purpose. Each year, Chief NGB publishes a letter of authority delineating the amount of appropriated funds that may be used by each State to order junior enlisted under the grade of E-7 to attend the EANGUS conference. The letter may be found on the EANGUS conference website.

Professional development sessions are scheduled and conducted at the annual conference. Some of the highlights of that schedule include personal interaction with senior officers and noncommissioned officers at the Federal (NGB) level; speed mentoring; and networking with others. The conference agenda, found here illustrates the types of activities professional development attendees may attend.

Many of those involved in EANGUS professional development programs have never attended an EANGUS conference before. They had no previous up close and personal interaction with leaders wearing stars. They had a limited point of view of their National Guard service. Just about every one of those who have attended in the past would highly encourage attendance at the EANGUS conference.

2024 EANGUS Call to Conference

Jeffrey Frisby — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 19:00:17 +0000

The 53^rd Annual Conference of the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States (EANGUS) convenes at the Huntington Place Convention Center, 1 Washington Blvd, Detroit, MI from Sunday, 18 August 2024 through Wednesday, 21 August 2024. All conference information is published on the EANGUS Conference Website: https://eangusconference.org. Information will be updated as it becomes available. The final EANGUS Conference Agenda will be released and posted online on 1 August 2024.

Click here to download the official 2024 EANGUS Call to Conference.

The National Guard Relief Foundation is Hiring!

KAREN CRAIG — Sat, 01 Jun 2024 21:57:23 +0000

National Guard Relief Foundation (NGRF)

May 30, 2024

Announcement is made of a contract position opportunity with the EANGUS We Care for America Foundation, Inc., dba the National Guard Relief Foundation (NGRF)

POSITION TITLE: Director

SALARY: Salary will be commensurate with the knowledge and experience of the selectee and based on the provisions contained in the contract.

SELECTING OFFICIAL: Chairman, National Guard Relief Foundation

AREA OF CONSIDERATION:

Current life or annual members of the Enlisted Association National Guard of the United States, and,
Other individuals who have the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position.
Applicants must possess the appropriate business acumen, demonstrated leadership experience, grant/fundraising experience, and a depth of understanding about the mission and activities of the Foundation.

APPOINTMENT REQUIREMENTS: See complete position announcement attached

CLOSING DATE: Midnight ET, Saturday, June 15, 2024

PROJECTED START DATE: July 1, 2024 (Subject to negotiation)

SUBMISSION: Forward resumes/application to the NGRF Chairman, CSM (Ret) Karen Craig at chairman@eangus-wcfa.org

VIEW JOB ANNOUNCEMENT HERE: WCFA NGRF Director Job Announcement 2024

Auction of Chase Elliott’s Darlington Throwback Gloves to Benefit the National Guard Relief Foundation

KAREN CRAIG — Thu, 09 May 2024 06:08:00 +0000

For the annual NASCAR Throwback race weekend at Darlington Raceway this year, Hendrick Motorsports and Chase Elliott are running a special paint scheme on the No. 9 UniFirst Chevrolet ZL1 that honors Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s 2014 Daytona 500 win in the No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet. In addition, Elliott will also don a replica-designed driver suit and Earnhardt’s signature skeleton gloves.

On Thursday, May 9, the Chase Elliott Foundation, in partnership with the NASCAR Foundation, will launch an online auction of the authentic, race-worn driver gloves, autographed by both Earnhardt, a 15-time NASCAR Cup Series Most Popular Driver, and Elliott, a six-time Most Popular Driver. Also included in the auction package is a VIP Race Experience for the fall 2024 Darlington NASCAR Cup Series race. In gratitude for their years of participation in NASCAR, the Chase Elliott Foundation will donate proceeds from the auction to the National Guard Relief Foundation. No. 9 primary car sponsor UniFirst has generously pledged to match the donation as well.

The National Guard Relief Foundation sincerely appreciates the support of the Chase Elliott Foundation and their sponsor UniFirst! Read the entire article and get more information about the auction on the Chase Elliot Foundation website at this link: Auction of Chase Elliott’s Darlington Throwback Gloves to Benefit the National Guard Foundation.

AUSA Membership

Jeffrey Frisby — Mon, 25 Mar 2024 12:30:30 +0000

Did you know? As a member of EANGUS, you are automatically a member of AUSA, the Association of the U.S. Army. In essence, when you become an EANGUS member, you become a member of your State Association, the national EANGUS Association, and you are a member of AUSA through an agreement between our two associations. Yes, even if you are Air Guard, you are automatically an AUSA member. Stay with me on this one—there are benefits even for Air Guard members.

In 2017, AUSA approached EANGUS about partnering at the Association level and offering cross memberships in each organization. EANGUS accepted their offer on a conditional basis. AUSA would have to accept all EANGUS members, not just those in the Army Guard. [AUSA members would have to meet EANGUS membership rules and opt in to EANGUS membership; EANGUS members can opt out of AUSA membership at any time.] EANGUS members would have digital only access to AUSA products (no printed materials). And AUSA would greatly assist EANGUS in expanding its annual conference exhibitor program at little to no cost to EANGUS, since AUSA knows how to attract exhibitors. Both parties agreed to the terms and the partnership was formed. EANGUS is considered to be an Association Partner with AUSA.

Are there benefits to membership? Definitely yes.

Advocacy. AUSA lobbies Congress on behalf of all components of the Army, and EANGUS lobbies Congress on behalf of all Guard members. Our legislative interests overlap and are complementary. On many issues, EANGUS and AUSA team up to attack the Hill on your behalf. https://www.ausa.org/government-affairs.

Affinity Program. Affinity means discounts. AUSA has a very robust affinity program. For almost anything you do in life, they probably have negotiated a discount for which you can take advantage. Car rentals. Hotel rooms. Computers. An unbelievable amount of savings. Check out the affinity program here: https://www.ausa.org/member-benefits.

Scholarships. Although EANGUS has a scholarship program, so does AUSA. EANGUS members are eligible to participate in AUSA scholarship programs in addition to all of EANGUS’ scholarship programs. AUSA has over $300,000 in over 40 scholarship programs. EANGUS members and their dependents (to include children, spouses, and grandchildren) are eligible to apply. Check out their scholarship programs here: https://www.ausa.org/scholarships.

Chapters. AUSA has 122 chapters worldwide. Every State has at least one AUSA chapter. The synergy between each EANGUS State Association and the AUSA chapters in that State can be very fruitful. Working together, we can accomplish much for our State Associations. You can locate a local AUSA chapter here: https://www.ausa.org/search/chapters.

Annual Meeting. EANGUS holds an annual conference/meeting in a different city every year. AUSA holds an annual conference/meeting in Washington DC at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. AUSA attracts over 30,000 attendees and has over 600 exhibitors, some from allied nations. Anyone with an affiliation with AUSA can attend the conference for free. Some of the break out meetings and exhibits are definitely Army-centric. But a great majority of them have both Army and Air interest, such as the job fair they hold during the exhibition. There is something for everyone at the annual conference in DC.

Podcasts. AUSA produces a wide variety of podcasts, under the moniker “Army Matters”. But the podcasts have a wider applicability than just to Army Soldiers. Recent podcasts include How A Bus Crash Improved The Lives Of Countless Veterans (with Dr. Rory Cooper, an amazing guy); Can Uncle Sam Become A Gen Z Hero? discussing the traits of Gen Z; and The Creative Minds—And The Experiences—Behind Call Of Duty which talks about the gaming industry. Podcasts are free to listen. https://www.ausa.org/podcast.

Professional Development. AUSA has a robust professional development program for officers and NCOs as well as civilian employees and family readiness. They have an extensive publications program with books, magazines, and e-news you can count on. You can find more on their programs here: https://www.ausa.org/professional-development.

EANGUS strives to make your membership as valuable as it can be, and our partnership with AUSA is one part of that.

— EANGUS National Office

MSO or VSO, what is EANGUS?

Jeffrey Frisby — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 12:30:37 +0000

What is the difference between a Military Service Organization (MSO) and a Veterans Service Organization (VSO), and what is EANGUS? Although the terms seem to be synonymous, there are important differences between the two.

A Veterans Service Organization (VSO) is an organization that aids and serves veterans, servicemembers, dependents, and survivors. They are non-profits under IRS code section 501(c)19. They may also be national, state, county, tribal, or local government organizations or agencies. Some VSOs may provide programming for veterans in their communities, such as job fairs; others may organize events to raise money for a subset of veterans, such as housing for homeless veterans. Some VSOs train individuals to meet federal regulatory requirements to become accredited representatives who can represent claimants before the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA’s) regional offices and its Board of Veterans’ Appeals. Generally, VSOs are congressionally chartered organizations recognized by VA to prepare, present, and prosecute claims. 38 C.F.R. §14.628(d) describes the requirements that must be met for recognition. Each congressionally chartered VSO is listed in 36 U.S.C. Subtitle II: Patriotic and National Organizations. The VA Secretary may make space available in departmental facilities for individuals who work for national VSOs that have been recognized by the Secretary. For example, at many VA hospitals, VSOs have offices and assist with disability claims and processing. VSOs offer their claims assistance free of charge to all veterans. Among congressionally chartered VSOs are MOAA, ROA, American Legion, VFW, and DAV. Although no exhaustive list exists to document all of the VSOs in existence, you can find many accredited ones here: https://benefits.va.gov/vso/index.asp.

A Military Service Organization (MSO) is very similar to a VSO with some exceptions. A MSO is not congressionally chartered. MSOs are not recognized by VA to represent individuals before the VA to prepare, present and prosecute claims for disability or pensions. MSOs generally are organized under IRS code section 501(c)3 or 19 as non-profits, depending on the meeting the criteria of membership (see https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/other-non-profits/veterans-organizations). MSOs may be national, state, tribal, or local. MSOs frequently partner with VSOs to advocate on behalf of servicemembers, veterans, dependents, and survivors. EANGUS is considered to be a MSO and not a VSO, as is NGAUS.

— EANGUS National Office

Air National Guard Federal Tuition Assistance

Jeffrey Frisby — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 12:30:41 +0000

If you are in the Air Guard, not in AGR status, and want to attend college, you’d better hope your State has a robust tuition assistance program, because there is no money for federal tuition assistance like the Army Guard has.

This issue has been on the to-do list for your association for several years. It was formally attacked in 2019 and 2020 by EANGUS but without permanent resolution.

In 2019, the Air Guard received almost $11 million in Congressional funding for a pilot program (no pun intended) to fund federal tuition assistance for drilling Guard members. The pilot program included 24 wings in 14 states and territories, to include Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Guam, Maryland, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Vermont, Washington and Wyoming. It began on October 1, 2020. The pilot program was to run for three years, with tuition assistance capped at $4,500 annually per airman. But in 2022, the Air Guard Director put a kibosh on the program, citing a shortage in funding and lack of Congressional funding for the program.

Air Force Instruction 36-2670 Chapter 6 (updated on November 9, 2023) clearly lays out the federal tuition assistance program by the Air Force for the Air Force Reserve. The Air Guard is only mentioned in paragraph 6.8.13 stating that the only funds available for the Air Guard are State tuition programs. As many have discovered, not all States are created equal, and State tuition programs vary greatly across America.

Representatives Jeff Jackson (D-NC) and Trent Kelly (R-MS) introduced H.R. 7088, the Air Guard Standardizing Tuition Assistance to Unify the Services (STATUS) Act, a bipartisan bill that would establish a permanent federal tuition assistance (FTA) program for members of the Air National Guard.

The bill would require the Secretary of the Air Force to provide tuition assistance to members of the Air National Guard, in line with the program currently available to the Army National Guard. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and John Hoeven (R-ND) introduced the Senate companion bill, S.3513. The legislative language reads: “The Secretary of the Air Force shall establish a permanent program to pay, under section 2007 of title 10, United States Code, all or a portion of the charges of an educational institution for the tuition or expenses of a member of the Air National Guard who is in compliance with the training requirements under regulations prescribed under section 502(a) of title 32, United States Code.”

Hopefully the Armed Services committees will consider the legislation and possibly roll the provisions into the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act and fund it in the 2024 Defense Appropriations bill. This disparity in federal tuition assistance between the Army and Air Guard will continue to be attacked by your association in this and future sessions of Congress until a permanent funding solution is attained.