To: EANGUS Members
From: EANGUS National Office
Please share the following Roll Call: Drill Weekend Talking Points with other unit members
Fiscal Year 2022 House Armed Service Committee NDAA Summary
The House Armed Services Committee has completed the markup of its fiscal 2022 defense policy bill.
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) written by the House Armed Services committee places a strong emphasis and investment in future capabilities that will better enable the United States defense enterprise to confront unprecedented challenges facing our nation both at home and abroad. These investments will assist in fortifying the technological advantages of the United States Military.
As part of this draft legislation, the HASC proposal would authorize $744 billion in discretionary spending for national defense and authorizes a 2.7% pay raise for service members and defense civilians.
Additionally, this legislation would decrease the Army National Guard End Strength from 336,500 to 336,000 and would increase the Air National Guard End Strength from 108,100 to 108,300. Furthermore, the legislation would authorize an additional 200 Active Guard Reserve (AGR) Soldiers for the Army National Guard and an additional 1,328 Airman for the Air National Guard.
This version of the NDAA has language attached that would change provisions of current law and provide the Mayor of Washington D.C. with the authority to activate the District of Colombia National Guard. It also places several requirements on the National Guard to provide reports to Congress such as:
- National Guard Active Guard Reserve Program:
The total cost and any potential barriers encountered to convert 1,000 traditional National Guard positions to AGR every year for the next 10 years, for a total of 10,000 nationwide. - National Guard Drill Periods:
Provide the data for fiscal years 2019,2020, and 2021on the number of National Guard members who were required to drill on more than 10 weekdays during the year as well as the number of National Guard members that had to serve more than 38 total days per year.
At this point, both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives Armed Services committees have completed their versions of the FY 2022 NDAA. These bills still need to be approved by the entire bodies of their congressional body. Upon approval, these bills will need to be reconciled during the conference process in order to create a single version of the NDAA. Once complete, this version of the NDAA will be brought in front of the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives to vote on final passage. After Congress approves the legislation, it will be sent to the President for final approval and signature.
EANGUS 50th Anniversary Conference Summary
The EANGUS 50th Anniversary Conference took place from August 8th through August 11th in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Over 1100 people attended the conference to include over 100 National Guard members on Professional Development orders and they were able to listen to insightful information provided by a multitude of speakers. This year, EANGUS members and attendees were able to hear remarks from the Chief, National Guard Bureau, General Danial Hokanson, Senior Enlisted Advisor to the CNGB, SEA Tony Whitehead, Deputy Secretary of the Veterans Administration, the Honorable Donald Remy, as well as many other National Guard Senior Leaders.
Additionally, EANGUS conference attendees were able to conduct important meetings in order to ensure that EANGUS can continue to focus on taking care of the most valuable resource in the National Guard, its people. One of the most important portions of the EANGUS conference was the identification, selection, and approval for resolutions. These resolutions will be used to create the EANGUS Legislative Priorities for the Second Session of the 117th Congress. Some of the resolutions that were approved were, Affordable TRICARE for Grey Area Retirees, Military Occupation compatibility for Civilian Certificates, NG Personnel Pay and Benefits Parity, Tricare Reserve Select eligibility for Dual Status Technicians and Federal Employees before the current 2030 eligibility date, just to name a few.
Finally, the conference ended with a formal banquet and awards ceremony. EANGUS, along with our partner organizations were able to present over a dozen Scholarships to National Guard Servicemembers or their dependents as well as recognize individuals and organizations that have supported EANGUS and the National Guard.
Next year’s Annual Conference will be held from August 7-10, 2022, in Little Rock Arkansas. We hope to see you there!
Did you know there are several ways to donate to the We Care for America Foundation?
Want to help make a difference while you shop in the Amazon app, at no extra cost to you? Simply follow the instructions below to select “EANGUS We Care for America Foundation Inc” as your charity and activate AmazonSmile in the app. They’ll donate a portion of your eligible mobile app purchases to us.
How it works:
1. Open the Amazon app on your phone
2. Select the main menu (=) & tap on “AmazonSmile” within Programs & Features
3. Select “EANGUS We Care For America Foundation Inc” as your charity
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to activate AmazonSmile in the mobile app
Did you know, EANGUS We Care for America Foundation is back on the list of Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) approved charitable organizations?
Beginning 1 September 2021, you will be able to select EANGUS We Care for America as the charitable organization to receive your donations to the CFC by selecting number 11859. The mission of the CFC is to promote and support philanthropy through a program that is employee focused, cost-efficient, and effective in providing all federal employees the opportunity to improve the quality of life for all.
EANGUS will celebrate its 50th Anniversary Conference in Alburquerque, New Mexico in August 2021. This year’s conference will include special recognition of our history and other commemorative activities that our members, National Guard leaders, and guests won’t want to miss. We hope you will join us in the Land of Enchantment!
MEMBERSHIP MATTERS
UPDATE: Phase 4, We Care for America COVID-19 Emergency Relief Grant:
The WCFA COVID Emergency Relief Fund was established to provide financial assistance to current and former National Guard members who are experiencing financial hardship due to having lost their primary income, or who have an increased financial burden as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We appreciate the generous donations from USAA that supported this program. At this time, all available grant funds have been distributed for Phase 4 and this program is now closed. Should additional funds become available, we will announce the next phase on our website and all social media platforms.
Has the COVID-19 Pandemic hit you?
The EANGUS We Care for America Foundation may be able to help with a zero-interest loan. Loans are available in amounts from $500 to $2,000. See the link below for the application process and more information.
OPERATION VETCARE
Operation VetCare was established in 2017 by EANGUS is a program designed to assist Military Service Members, Veterans, and their families who faced special issues or challenges associated with military service. This program has continued to grow over the last several years. Assistance provided through this program may vary based on the limited funds available but may assist by providing support in the form of gift cards for food, clothing, and other necessary items during a service-related crisis. Through this program, EANGUS has been able to assist hundreds of people during a time of significant need. Click button for more information on how you can support this initiative through donations or to request assistance.
Have You Checked Your Date Lately?
Life seemingly happens so fast, and it is so often that we forget to check the small things – like expiration dates. Whether it’s a driver’s license, common access cards (CACs), or even credit / debit cards, it is so easy for an expiration date to sneak up on all of us.
Have you checked your EANGUS Membership expiration date lately?
If you are not a lifetime member, your membership has an expiration date; and I am encouraging you to take a moment to KNOW when your membership expires.
If your EANGUS Membership is approaching its expiration date, please consider renewing and selecting the Auto-Renewal feature when paying with a credit or debit card. Also check the expiration dates on your credit or debit card and make sure those are not expiring soon as well.
It is our individual responsibility to consistently manage these types of small tasks; and our collective responsibility to remind each other!
EANGUS Membership can only continue to grow if we reduce the number of expirations and non-renewals. Check yours out today, remind others to check theirs, and take renewal action if needed.
MEMBERSHIP MATTERS!