ENLISTED

ASSOCIATION

NATIONAL

GUARD

OF

ARIZONA

Spring 2012 Volume 3, Issue 1

The Desert Chronicle

Presidents Message
I personally want to thank all enlisted Airmen and Soldiers who have or currently serve in the Arizona National Guard. Your continued sworn pledge to preserve, protect, and defend the Arizona Constitution and United States Constitution at home and abroad is appreciated by the Arizona Enlisted Association. Just as you preserve and protect our Nation and community, the Enlisted Association is hard at work to create, maintain, and defend legislation that provides adequate staffing, pay, benefits, entitlements, equipment and installations for the National Guard. In early February I had the opportunity to attend the du al Enli s te d As s oc i at ion (EANGUS) and Officer Association (NGAUS) Legislative Workshop in Arlington, VA. The purpose of the workshop was to educate EANGUS and NGAUS chapters throughout the US about current legislation that impacts the National Guard, show them how to convey our message to individual Congressional members, and actually meet with Congressional members on Capitol Hill. I had the privilege to meet with seven Arizona Senate and House Legislative Liaisons and two members of the Arizona House of Representatives. I advocated for their membership on the National Guard Caucus, I asked them to vote to support the bill concerning granting Veteran status to National Guard personnel, as well as support for a bill concerning the pay disparity for Veterans disability payments. We discussed the value and cost savings the National Guard offers versus use of Active Duty personnel for contingencies that may arise in the future, and I asked for their continued support of the Arizona National Guard. As you know, the Department of Defense budget for next year has not been released yet; however, cuts are expected to include force reduction in personnel, cuts in benefits, possible reductions in operational systems, and possible base closures. EANGUS and your local association (EANGA) will keep you informed of proposed recommendations that impact the National Guard as we remain diligent in our support to you and your family on Capitol Hill. But, Legislators must hear from you individually; you should know who represents your District in the House and Senate, and I encourage you to contact their offices with your opinion. As an EANGUS member, you should receive emails regarding current legislation that needs your attention. I encourage all Citizen-Soldiers past and present to become active in telling the story of how the National Guard has answered the call for our Nation for the last 375 years. Check out the new EANGUS website at www.eangus.org to learn more! (Presidents message is continued on pg 2)

Inside this issue:

Legislative News Historic NDAA signed Its Election Time! 2

Member Spotlight SSG Craig Wester EANGUS National Conf Long Beach, CA Enlisted Association rewards members... State Conference Registration Form

SAVE THE DATE!

April 27-28, 2012 Phoenix Marriott Hotel AZNG Prof Dev Program and State Conference

Announcing the 2012 AZ Enlisted Association State Conference

Its time for the Annual AZNG Enlisted Professional Development Program and EANGA State Conference! President Gary Jack, along with the State Command Sergeant Major Max Butler and State Command Chief Master Sergeant Daniel Irving invite all enlisted personnel to attend. The one day event will be held at the Phoenix Marriott Hotel on 44th Street just north of Loop 202. Saturday will be filled with valuable training and activities for both Army & Air NG personnel. The Association hospitality suite will be open on both Friday and Saturday nights to provide lots of fun, food, and music. Everything is FREE to include the luncheon on Saturday with a Professional Development Guest Speaker. A limited number of attendees will be paid for attending the PD session. If you are interested in attending, please see your unit First Sergeant or full-time staff and complete and submit the attached registration form NLT Apr 15th. Hope to see you there!

Page 2

The Desert Chronicle

Historic NDAA Becomes Law

On 31 Dec 2011, the President signed the Fiscal Year 2012 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a law that includes historic changes for the National Guard. With its signing, the Chief of the National Guard Bureau is now a statutory member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, one of the most significant changes to occur since the Militia Act (otherwise known as the Dick Act) was signed in 1903 creating the National Guard. The law includes numerous provisions that demonstrate continued Congressional support for the National Guard's transition to an operational force. The law places the Chief of the National Guard Bureau on the Joint Chiefs of Staff with the specific responsibility of addressing matters related to the nonFederalized National Guard role in homeland defense and civil support missions. The law also re-establishes the Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau position at the three star level, authorizes certain activities of the State Partnership Program, and requires a comprehensive report on intra-theatre airlift including both Title 10 and Title 32 requirements. The law also includes an important provision that modifies the call-up authority of the Reserve Components to allow up to 60,000 members ordered to active duty other than during times of war or national emergency. For further analysis of the NDAA go to: http://www.ng.mil/ll/analysisdocs/FY2012/ NGB-LL%20Analysis%20-%20FY12% 20NDAA.pdf FYI EANGUS continues to watch the progress of HR1025/S491, Veteran Status for Title 32 Guardsmen, which is still in committee and has been since October 2011. The bill would extend honorary Veteran status to NG/RC members who qualify for retirement after 20 years but were never activated long enough to meet the current statutory requirement to attain Veteran status. Please contact your Congressmen and Senators to stop the delay and move forward approval of these bills.

View the testimony by Senator Lindsey Graham (SC) regarding the National Guard Empowerment Act and his support of giving the Chief, NGB a seat on the Joint Chiefs of Staff: Go to: http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=N2cy7q4CExk

Presidents message (continued from pg 1)

You can make a difference by contacting your Legislators; however there is also power in numbers. Thats why its important to belong to professional military associations like EANGUS. Congressmen react quickly on legislation that has a large representation of support from their district. Your Arizona Enlisted Association has increased its membership, but currently, only 9% of enlisted Airman and Soldiers belongwe have a total of 566 members out of a potential of 6,600. Our goal is to increase membership to 1,000 by the end of this year. EANGUS/EANGA offers Associate, Corporate, and Auxiliary memberships so everyone you know can join. Increasing our membership is critical to sending the message to our elected officials that Arizona is behind the preservation of the National Guard as an operational force. Although our main focus is legislative, EANGUS/EANGA also promotes professional development for its Airmen and Soldiers. Your Arizona association is providing an opportunity on April 28th as we host 300 Soldiers and Airmen who are authorized to attend the AZNG Professional Development Program on a paid status. This program is being conducted at the Phoenix Marriott in conjunction with the EANGA State Conference. If interested in attending, contact your First Sergeant or unit leadership to get on the attendee list. The registration form MUST be completed by all attendees and is attached to this newsletter. I also encourage you to review the information in this newsletter concerning the EANGUS National Conference, which is being held in Long Beach, CA this year. These are both great opportunities and I hope you will consider attending! Gary Jack, MSgt, AZ ANG

ITS ELECTION TIME !

No, its not the Presidential Primaries. were talking about the elections that will be held on April 28th at the EANGA State Conference. The AZ Enlisted Association is seeking candidates to run for the following offices: Vice-President, Air VP, Junior Enlisted Affairs (E1-E6) Secretary Army Director Director-At-Large (Army or Air) Three Delegates to the EANGUS Conf There are minimal requirements that must be met to run for office; if interested, please contact TSgt EJ Causbie

at ejcause@hotmailcom for a copy of the ByLaws and more info. All nominations must be submitted to TSgt Causbie and VP Ben Acosta (bernardo.m.acosta@gmail.com) NLT April 24th. In addition to holding elections for EANGA, our Auxiliary will also be holding elections for their offices of President, Vice-President and Secretary/Treasurer. They will hold their meeting at 10am on April 28th, room TBA. We encourage spouses of our EANGUS members to get involved in the Auxiliary and run for office. The Auxiliary stand sideby-side with EANGUS and are involved in grassroots legislative letter writing as well as support to our communities; i.e., Ronald McDonald House, Family Readiness, etc.

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MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: SSG Craig Wester

This month, EANGA is proud to highlight one of the top Soldiers in the Arizona Army National GuardSSG Craig Wester. SSG Wester joined the Army as an 11B Infantryman in 1989 and served with the 82nd Airborne during Operation Desert Shield/ Desert Storm. Upon reenlisting, he reclassified and became a 68D Operating Room Spec at Fort Lewis, WA, and in 1995, he volunteered for a tour as a Recruiter receiving many awards to include the Top Active Army Recruiter of the Year in 1997. In 1999 he left the Army to pursue a civilian career, but having always missed the Army, he joined the Arizona Army National Guard in July 2009. With a goal to lead, mentor and develop Soldiers, he became a Recruiting and Retention NCO for the AZARNG. Those goals and his hard work, dedication, and disciplined work ethic led him to be selected as the AZ RRNCO of the Year for FY11. He recruited and shipped 38 individuals, exceeding the recruiter standard of 24 recruits per year. After also winning a Regional Competition, he was ultimately selected (out of a field of over 3,000 NG Recruiters) as the 2011 Top Recruiting and Retention NCO for the entire Army National Guard. Congrats! SSG Wester and his wife Chantal live in Gilbert, AZ where he supports his community, often volunteering for Habitat for Humanity and at the State Veterans Home.

SSG Wester is also a member of EANGUS, and says he heard about the Association during a unit AT. He likes the fact that theres an organization thats run by current and former enlisted personnel, and feels its important for the Enlisted Corp to have someone on our side that knows the ins and outs of what we do and to fight for our rights and benefits.

Long Beach, CAhere we come! EANGUS National Conference

Another great opportunity to learn about EANGUS, attend military professional development, hear from National Guard senior leaders as well as Congressional representatives, network with other Soldiers and Airmen, (and a lot of fun).is the upcoming EANGUS National Conference in Long Beach CA, August 26-29, 2012. The conference, to be attended by over 1800 enlisted Army & Air NG personnel from across the US, will be held at the Long Beach Convention Center. Attendees from AZ and Area VI have been allotted rooms at the beautiful Renaissance Hotel; with a special $123 a night conference lodging rate. Roll with California is this years theme, and with the conference location so close to Arizona this is a perfect time to attend P.S. Conference lodging rates will be honored thru the Labor Day weekend ! Information about the conference, registration, hotels and transportation is posted on the EANGUS website at www.eangus.org or at www.visitlongbeach.com/EANGUS, or contact us and well send you more information!

Your EANGUS POCs: Area VI Chair: CSM-R Craig, kcraig1955@cox.net Area VI Director: CMSgt-Ret Miller, deanmiller1@cox.net

SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLEDeadline: 1 May

The Enlisted Association offers its members and eligible dependents a National and State Scholarship program, as follows: Grantham University: 1, $36,000 4yr full-ride scholarship. NLT June 1st, apply on their website at www.grantham.edu/ alliances/eangus-scholarship/ The EANGUS CSM Virgil Williams Scholarship program offers at least 10, $2,000 scholarships. The AZ Enlisted Association offers 3, $500 scholarships. Application forms, eligibility criteria, and instructions for each program may be downloaded from the EANGA web site at www.eanga.org or contact State Scholarship Chair, CSM Michael Sojourner at Michael.sojourner@us.army.mil Completed applications must be postmarked or hand-carried to CSM Sojourner NLT May 1, 2012. Winners will be announced in early August with checks made payable to the college of your choice.

Legislative First, Membership Always.

Enlisted Association National Guard of Arizona
5636 E. McDowell Road Phoenix, Arizona 85008-3495

President: MSgt Gary Jack

Gary.jack@ang.af.mil Vice-President Air: CMSgt-Ret Dean Miller deanmiller1@cox.net Vice-President Army: SFC Bernardo M. Acosta Bernardo.m.acosta@gmail.com Vice-President Junior Enlisted: VACANT Secretary: MSgt Heidi Estes Heidi.estes@ang.af.mil Treasurer: SMSgt Timothy Garrity Timothy.garrity@ang.af.mil Membership Chair: MSgt Joseph Duyck/SSgt Christie Card membershipchair@eanga.org Past President: MSgt David Morgan Director Air: TSgt Earl Causbie Director Army: SFC Tonya Gonzales Director At Large: MSG DonCarlos Pagan Director Retiree: CSM-R David Austin Auxiliary President: Mary Hensell

The Enlisted Association National Guard of the United States (EANGUS) and the Enlisted Association National Guard of Arizona (EANGA), exist to promote the status, welfare, and professionalism of the enlisted members of the National Guard and to promote adequate National Security. The Association lobbies to provide adequate full-time staffing, adequate pay and allowances, adequate health, medical, family and death entitlements, incentive benefits, first line equipment, resources, and weapons systems, and military construction.

Win two 4-day general admission tickets to Country Thunder, 12-15 April in Florence, AZ!! Raffle tickets are $5 each or 3 for $10. Drawing will be April 5th Contact SMSgt Teresa Denogean at teresa.v.denogean@us.army.mil for info on how to get your raffle tickets. Proceeds support EANGA activities.
The winner of our latest EANGA raffle for the AR-15 Rifle is: PFC Greyson Morley, 819th Engineer Company, 253rd Engr Bn, AZARNG
The next EANGA Executive Board Meeting is scheduled for 1730 hrs, Thurs, Apr 5th, at the Phoenix Marriott Hotel restaurant. All enlisted personnel are invited to attend.

Were on the Web at: www.eangus.org

MSgt Richard Moore, EANGA Resolutions Chair, presents DVD player to TSgt Pete Smith, winner of an EANGA membership drawing.

Enlisted association rewards members, secures benefits for all Excerpt of story by Maj. Gabe Johnson, 162nd FW PAO
Tech. Sgt. Pete Smith, from the 162nd Fighter Wing's maintenance plans, scheduling and documentation office, was surprised Jan. 6 when members of the EANGA Executive Council presented him with a new DVD player in his office at Tucson International Airport. As a reward for participation in the association, each month the Executive Council will randomly draw a name from its pool of chapter members to receive a prize. "This is a new initiative at every unit in the state to say 'thank you' to our current membership, and we hope it will draw attention to the association among non-members and perhaps encourage more people to join," said Staff Sgt. Christie Card, EANGA Membership Chair. The real gifts afforded by EANGA go well beyond home electronics and extend outside its roster of current chapter members. According to Master Sgt. Gary Jack, chapter president and member of the 162nd, a larger membership could translate to more benefits for Arizona Guardsmen. "The number of delegates we can send to the national conference increases our voice as a state," said Jack. "There may be issues in the future that we as Arizona Guardsmen want to push forward, and to have influence we'll need that voting strength. It will mean more to our elected state and federal leaders if our association goes to them with proposals that have the backing of a large number of Guardsmen."

"Essentially we are building a stronger Guard for the younger people coming up behind us who will one day take over, and to do it the right way we're going to need their membership," said Jack. "The association will never fully know what's important to the junior enlisted member unless those members join and use their voices. What was important to me as a junior enlisted member isn't the same as what's important to our young troops today. It's a whole new world." "The Enlisted Association is your association," said the chapter president. "What we do and how we do it is based on the input we get from our members. We're here so that when the time comes, when members are called to duty, there's a framework there to support them and their families." To read the entire story, go to: http://
www.162fw.ang.af.mil/news/story.asp? id=123285447