CSM / SGM’s, 1SG / MSG’s, Senior Enlisted Leaders, Enlisted Association Reps, Retirees, and Spouses Axillary.
Below are the top talking points for this drill weekend. I apologize for missing the January drill 2019 talking points.
Please forward to your subordinate enlisted leaders. Help spread the word to our enlisted about the great things the organization is doing for them, and let us know if there are any issues we can work to change for those we represent.
STATE and LOCAL UPDATE:
– Legislative Update:
* NM Personal Income Tax exemption (PIT) SB 330 “See attachment for additional HB / SB during this session”.
* Waiver of State Licensing Fees for our Medics.
* State Active Duty and State Defense Force issues in support of our Adjutant General MG Kenneth A. Nava.
* EANMNG and JEC will be supporting the TAG’s legislative event on 20 February 2019.
“NOTE” Please contact your local and Area representatives to help express your support reference our initiatives. As part of the Enlisted Association, NGAUS, and MOAA team we will continue to keep you updated during this 2019 Legislative session. Please visit: www.nmlegis.gov and https://nmlegis.gov/Legislation/BillFinder/Number to keep track on weekly updates.
– 2019 State Joint Annual Conference 26-27 April 2019 location will be at the Santa Ana Casino/Motel located in Bernalillo, NM.
* Host unit is 111th is currently working the agenda items and conference flyer we will be posted on the eanmng.org website and disseminated to all of the MSC’s prior to February drill weekend.
“Please visit our website eanmng.org for information on the 2019 conference registration, golf tournament, softball tournament, and sponsor registration”. “REGISTRATION IS OPEN”
* Please welcome our Area VI Chair Robert “Bobby” Born from Wyoming who will be attending our 2019 Joint Annual Conference.
– MOAA Military Officers Association of America will be supporting and joining the efforts of NGAUS and EANMNG at the annual conference.
– Spouses Auxiliary continues to support our association and will be hosting a burrito sale fund raising event on 09 February 2019 during drill weekend at the Rio Rancho Readiness Center. The auxiliary has many events planned for 2019 in support of our great soldiers, airmen, and families. (See attached Auxiliary Flyer and Notes)
* In conjunction with the Spouses Auxiliary we are working on an additional fund raising and membership event “Bike and Car Poker Run” towards the end of March 2019 on a Saturday. Get those bikes and cars waxed!!:):)
– The Junior enlisted Counsel (JEC): The Junior Enlisted Counsel continues to support the efforts of our association and will continue to work with our young soldiers, airmen, and their families to educate them on the importance of what we take to the fight involving legislative issues, benefits, and professional education. “Looking forward to the JEC at the Joint annual conference”.
* JEC will be coordinating the Softball event with support from the Enlisted Association. Thanks JEC.
– Membership: Our current membership numbers are at approximately 430 and need to reach an excess of over the 500 mark with a goal of 700. We need your help to increase membership, through renewing your membership and / or encouraging a troop or two to join at https://eanmng.org/.
– Scholarships: Don’t forget the many scholarship opportunities the organization (EANMNG) provides to both members and their spouses and children. 2019 Scholarship application process is currently posted on our website eanmng.org.
*EANGUS National Scholarships are now “OPEN” effective 22 January 2019. “Please visit eangus.org and apply for the many scholarships (Online Application Only)”
– Executive Counsel: We conducted our last meeting on 29 January 2019 and will have notes (Minutes) available at our next EC meeting.
*Our next EC meeting is tentatively scheduled for the weekend of 03 March 2019. More to follow.
NATIONAL UPDATE:
– New National Guard portrait: http://dev.eangus.org/wp/national-guard-portrait/
– EANGUS Minuteman Update: Please refer to the following link: http://www.multibriefs.com/briefs/eangus/
(Great information related to military news and services).
– If you are not aware Tricare Dental/Vision went away for retirees at the end of this year 2018. If you wish to receive benefits you will have to wait until the enrollment season re-opens.
– Federal Tuition Assistance:
Members of the Air National Guard are not able to receive Federal Tuition Assistance because the U.S. Air Force (USAF) does not allocate funds for members of the Air National Guard (ANG). In October 2015, an Associate’s degree became a mandatory prerequisite for promotion to the ranks of E-8 (Senior Master Sergeant) and E-9 (Chief Master Sergeant) in the Air National Guard. EANGUS believes the Air Force should change its policy to allow members to receive TA after making a degree mandatory for promotion to E-8 and E-9. EANGUS working hard to get this changed.
– G.I. Bill Issues:
The Enlisted Association of the National Guard is currently investigating misleading information from the Department of Defense that has caused many military family’s financial hardship, and loss of postsecondary opportunities for their families. We are working with soldiers who devoted decades of their lives to serve in the armed services and accrued both full Montgomery GI Bill and Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits. The Department of Defense told these soldiers that they could use the Montgomery and transfer the Post-9/11 GI Bill, ignoring VA that states a maximum of 48 months of benefits can be used. We are already engaged with DoD and VA to fix this issue. If you are in a similar situation, or know someone who is, reach out and tell us your story. We can help.
– Student Veterans
The Enlisted Association of the National Guard is representing Student Veterans at the Department of Education’s 2019 Negotiated Rulemaking on Accreditation and Innovation. We are honored to have been selected from among the numerous qualified stakeholders to negotiate on behalf of all Veterans in higher education. For the next two months EANGUS will engage the Department, accreditors, institutions of higher education, and state approving agencies in order to change the status quo of higher education, which systematically denies the validity of Veterans’ training and life experience when awarding college credit. Through our efforts we hope to see all Veterans in all of higher education validated and promoted through crucial degree programs in order to complete the next steps necessary for their families and careers.
– TRS Expansion Update:
n January 16, 2019, Representatives Kelly (R-MS) and Garamendi (D-CA) introduced H.R. 613, the TRICARE Reserve Select Improvement Act. If signed into law, H.R. 613 would expand TRS to eligible federal employees. EANGUS is working hard to coalition build and garner support on Capitol Hill. The National Office will issue a legislative call to action as soon as the co-sponsors distribute their dear colleague letter in the House of Representatives. Please be on the lookout for the call to action, follow the instructions to contact your delegation, and forward the call to action to your friends. Please note, the call to action will include a message to your Senators asking for support for H.R. 613 counterpart bill, S. 164. Senators Daines (R-MT) and Manchin (D-WV) introduced S. 164 on January 16, 2019.
– Visit the National Website: eangus.org for national updates and information as to what our national team is doing for all of our soldiers, airmen, and families.
“And please help me disseminate this information to our retirees and any former guard army and air members”
Have a safe drill weekend!
Very Respectfully,
Willy Griego,
EANMNG, President
505-604-8494
griego.william@yahoo.com