NCNGA Weekly Guardsman for June 18, 2020

June 18, 2020

 

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 IN THIS EDITION:

New Executive Council Members Elected! NCNGA 
Legislative Call to Action! Military Pension Tax Exemption. NCNGA 
NCNG: A Beacon of Hope DVIDS 
North Carolina National Guard prepares for hurricanes USArmy 
National Guard ends civil unrest duties in Fayetteville, other NC cities Fayetteville Observer 
Mortgage confidently with Quicken Loans® NCNGA 
June 18th — Today in Guard History National Guard 
Virtual Mini 4-H Youth Futures College Within Reach Conference NCNGA 


New Executive Council Members Elected! NCNGA 

Through on-line voting the following individuals were elected to serve on 2020-21 Executive Council: Vice President – James McKee, Active Associate – John Brady, At-Large – Marie Selzler, Junior Council – Bradley Thompson, Air Guard- Raveena Boler, 449th TAB – Bethany Barden, 60th TC – LaShonda Johnson-Joyner, 30th ABCT – Charles Britt, 130th MEB – Gregory Gebhardt, 113th SB – Daina Key, and JFHQ-NC – Linda Horton.

These individuals join the Executive Council that have one year remaining on their term. The full Executive Council is below:

2020-2021
President Leo Scott Schnack
Vice President James McKee
30th ABCT Charles Britt
60th Troop Command LaShonda Johnson-Joyner
130th MEB Gregory Gebhardt
449th TAB Bethany Barden
113th SUS BDE Daina Key
JFHQ-NC Linda Horton
139th Regiment (CA) Mark Almond
Air Guard Raveena Boler
Active Associate John Brady
Junior Council Bradley Thompson
At-Large Beth Austin
At-Large James Andrews
At-Large Marie Selzler

Legislative Call to Action! Military Pension Tax Exemption. NCNGA 

In past issues your Association asked you to contact your state Senator and Representative. Early in this session it appeared all items would be COVID-19 related. However, other legislation is moving through this session and SB 188 and HB 650 are eligible for consideration.

Bill 188 and House Bill 650 provide state tax exemption for all federal military pensions and military retiree survivor benefits.

To find you NC Representative and Senator visit https://www.ncleg.gov/FindYourLegislators and enter your address. When you click on the name of your NC Representative or Senator, you will see their email, mailing address, and phone number. You can use the attached example for an email, written letter, or phone script when you contact your legislator.

While this legislation being approved during this session is not guaranteed, what is guaranteed is that it will not get approved if the legislators do not hear directly from their constituents. This is not only the sentiment of the Association, but also the direct statement of a number of elected officials who support this legislation.

Your Association is working closely with other organizations in this effort. However, it is your individual voice that will make the difference in this effort.

Click the links below to download the letters for your House Representative and your Senator:
Tax Exemption Form email House
Tax Exemption Form email Senate

Feel free to contact me at Larry@ncnga.org if you have any questions.

NCNG: A Beacon of Hope DVIDS 

As the coronavirus swept through the Nation, schools closed their doors in order to help safeguard students and stop the spread of the virus. School buses stopped in their tracks, there were classrooms with no teachers, desks with no students and hallways that were once filled with life were now vacant.

Students in Bladen County, N.C. were particularly affected by COVID-19, leaving them and their families in a dire situation. COVID-19 caused unemployment to sky rocket and families struggled now more than ever to feed their children.

According to Amy Stanley, the Director of school nutrition for Bladen County schools, 76% of students attending Elizabethtown Middle School would typically receive free or reduced meals during the school year. Therefore, most of the meals children received during the weekday derived from the school meal programs.

“On a daily basis typically students are here at school and they’re able to get those lunches…but COVID-19 has impacted our society so much…” said Jamal Dunham, the principal of Elizabethtown Middle School. “We transitioned to virtual schooling but kids still need to eat.”

Meals the community relied on to help feed the children of Bladen County now vanished when tragedy struck the nation. With parents out of work and students without a meal plan, the uncertainty of when their next meal would come became a mystery and a gut wrenching horror.

“Without those meals they’re not going to have that nutrition that they need,” Stanley said. “When we get out of school on Friday and come back on Monday there are many children that do not eat during that weekend so to go three or four months without the children eating would be devastating to the families and to the children.”

Read More…

North Carolina National Guard prepares for hurricanes USArmy 

RALEIGH, N.C. – The holiday celebrations of “Tis’ the season” are months away, but for the North Carolina National Guard (NCNG), “Tis the season” to prepare for hurricanes.

NC Army National Guard Maj. Aaron Youngblood, director of military support at Joint Force Headquarters (JFHQ) in Raleigh, is meeting almost daily to coordinate with NC Emergency Management on issues from sheltering to safety.

“We are focused on our priority vehicles, force packages and preparation for an initial safety recon, which we call ‘Spearhead,’ which includes a significant number of Medium Tactical Vehicles (MTVs) and Humvee (HMMWV) vehicles,” said Youngblood.

The NCNG plans to continue following government-mandated COVID-19 precautions. Appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and proper social distancing will be enforced if the Guard responds to hurricanes in the state.

“We are going through our force packages, checking our readiness, trying our best to get everything ready and organized and making sure we have the appropriate COVID PPE in addition to the hurricane PPE,” Youngblood said. “The best we can do at this point is to stay prepared.”

Read More…

National Guard ends civil unrest duties in Fayetteville, other NC cities Fayetteville Observer 

The North Carolina National Guard concluded its mission to support law enforcement agencies during protests last week, but is continuing to help with relief efforts related to COVID-19.

Gov. Roy Cooper authorized the mobilization of about 450 guard troops on May 29 to help local authorities because of “civil unrest.” Thousands were protesting in cities across the state after the death of George Floyd, a black man who was pinned to the ground by a white Minneapolis police officer.

The North Carolina National Guard troops were off the streets by June 7 and officially concluded the mission two days later, said Lt. Col. Matt DeVivo, an N.C. National Guard spokesman.

About 40 North Carolina National Guard troops from the Charlotte-based 130th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade supported local authorities in Fayetteville. National Guard troops also were in Raleigh, Greenville and Asheville for the mission.

DeVivo said troops from National Guard units are distributing food and medical supplies to help with relief efforts associated with COVID-19. The disease, which is caused by an infectious coronavirus, shut down many businesses and has forced residents to stay mostly at home since March.

Read More…

Mortgage confidently with Quicken Loans® NCNGA 

Right now, as we all think of ways to save money, Quicken Loans is with you. On top of historically low mortgage rates, as a member of the National Guard Association of North Carolina, you receive up to $1,000 in a closing cost credit and $500 cash back when you purchase or refinance your home.1 The dedicated VIP team at Quicken Loans will guide you through the mortgage process, so you can be confident that you’re making the best decision for yourself and your family. If you think that now is the right time to refinance your mortgage, our home loan experts are available to help 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Visit VIP.QuickenLoans.com/NGANorthCarolina anytime, anywhere on your mobile device or call (800) 434-9055 to get started.

The May/June Edition of the Tarheel Guardsman is Now Available NCNGA 

The May/June edition of the Tarheel Guardsman is now available at www.ncnga.org, if you have built your online account you can view this and past editions under the news section.

June 18th — Today in Guard History National Guard 

1916
Washington DC – President Woodrow Wilson, acting only fifteen days after he signed the historic National Defense Act of 1916, calls up most of the National Guard for duty along the Mexican Border. Because the National Guard was called up under the militia clause of the Constitution, it was restricted to service within the borders of the United States to “repel invasion” by Pancho Villa’s bandits. By July 31st, more then 110,000 Guardsmen had joined the 5,000 AZ, TX, and NM Guardsmen who had previously been called for service on the border in May. The Guard’s deployment freed General John Pershing to lead an expeditionary force composed of Army regulars into Mexico in a futile attempt to track down Villa. Over 40,000 Guardsmen were still serving on the border when war was declared against Germany in April 1917. The border experience proved valuable training for the Guard prior to World War I, particularly because it gave officers and men extensive experience in working with large formations of troops that could rarely be assembled in peacetime.

Read More…

Virtual Mini 4-H Youth Futures College Within Reach Conference NCNGA 

The conference is June 22-24 beginning at 11:00 am each day. You can choose what sessions you attend. You can find a schedule of events in the attached flyer.

Schedule Overview:

June 22 – Preparing For Your Future
11:00-12:00 – What is 4-H Youth Futures? Donna Garcia
Ice Breaker Trivia– Isha Williams and Gus Robinson
12:00-1:00 – Interview Skills by Polly Matteson – Missouri Career Pathways Regional Consultant Career Advisor/Truman State

June 23 – College Student Finances
11:00-12:00 – College Student Panel on how they handle finances while in college Melissa Scheer moderator, college students
12:00-1:00 – Handling College Finances – Graham McCauley, Andrew Zumwalt, and Marco Pantoja – MU, HES Financial Planning

June 24 – Are You Ready?
11:00-12:00 – College Preparedness by Dr. Alan Byrd – Vice Provost for Enrollment Management/UMSL
12:00-1:00 – The Reality of It Is… MU Missouri College Advising Corps Panel
1:00-2:00 – College 101 by MU Admissions

If you are interested in joining, please send an email to cmrutled@ncsu.edu with who in your family will be attending. They will then follow up with a link to the conference.

 

 

The Weekly Guardsman


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