By Douglas Mallary
EANMNG Publications Chair
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Command Sgt. Maj. William Griego was elected vice president of the Enlisted Association of the New Mexico National Guard June 27 during the annual business meeting here.
Griego is the command sergeant major of 1st Battalion, 200th Infantry, headquartered in Las Cruces. He is also the full-time G3 sergeant major at Joint Forces Headquarters in Santa Fe.
Griego replaces Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey Pacheco as vice president. Pacheco will remain chairman of the Scholarship Committee. He presented his report from the Area VI Mid-Winter Conference, which was held in Utah.
Air Guard Senior Master Sgt. Miguel Perez narrowly lost the vice presidential election to Griego by a vote of 10-8. Perez, who chairs the Membership Committee, was elected as a delegate to the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States national conference, scheduled for August in Indianapolis.
Army Guard Sgt. Eli Castellano was also elected as a delegate to the national conference.
EANMNG President Master Sgt. Maurice “Moe” Gomez announced this year’s recipients of state Refugio Rodriguez and Pete Alleman Scholarship: Nicole Gomez, Raymond Holmquist, Adriana Sanchez, and Brendon Sanchez.
Holmquist, Adriana and Brendon – daughter and son of Master Sgt. (Promotable) Albert Sanchez – received their certificates and checks during a short ceremony. Nicole Gomez was unable to attend the meeting.
Winners of the national CSM Virgil R. Williams Scholarship have not yet been selected.
Sgt. Maj. Rudy Checkley, Legislative Committee chair, presented a report from the 2015 Legislative Workshop, which was held in February in Washington, D.C. President Gomez has asked that every battalion/group-level command furnish a representative to the Legislative Committee.
“We need more help with every committee,” Gomez said.
The previously defunct Finance Committee was reborn as Gomez appointed Command Sgt. Maj. Brenda Mallary (who volunteered) as the chairperson. She will be assisted by Chief Master Sgt. Thomas Sanchez, Sgt. Maj. Roxann Garcia, and Castellano.
111th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade Command Sgt. Maj. Simon Sanchez presented his proposal for this year’s state conference, which is to hold three or four “mini conferences” in more remote areas such as Roswell, Las Cruces and Farmington to encourage participation from residents of those areas. The initiative is under review.
Gomez announced the launch of the EANMNG website at http://eanmng.org/ during the meeting. The website offers online membership and renewals either as a one-time transaction with annual reminders or automatic renewals. Membership dues are $15 a year.
Users can also sign up for lifetime memberships, which are currently at an all-time low cost of $110.
“If you’ve been thinking about it (lifetime membership), there’s no reason to put it off any longer,” said Gomez.
Perez reported that EANMNG had 428 members two days before the business meeting. About 30 people attended the start of the meeting, but participation dropped off as the morning wore on. Those still in their seats for the adjournment at noon nonetheless expressed a unified commitment to move forward with the association’s work.