NCNGA Weekly Guardsman for September 9, 2021
September 9th, 2021
News | About | Legislative | Benefits | Contact
IN THIS EDITION:
Military Pension Tax Exemption – New Call to Action! NCNGA
Apply for the S.A.R.G.E. Grant EANGUS
Roll Call: Drill Weekend Talking Points EANGUS
14th Annual Len Adams Memorial Scholarship Golf Tournament NCNGA
Help us grow the Tarheel Minuteman Foundation! There are multiple ways to donate NCNGA
For the first time, the Tarheel Minuteman Foundation is a part of the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC)! NCNGA
Greensboro Science Center Day Camp NCNGA
NCNG Family Programs Update & Information NCNGA
6th Annual NCNG Guard 2 Beach This October! NCNGA
Registration is now open for 2021 Tarheel Retiree Homecoming NCNGA
Registration is now open for 2022 Annual Convention – Register early. NCNGA
This Week in NCNG History NCNG Museum
September 9th — Today in Guard History National Guard
Military Pension Tax Exemption – New Call to Action! NCNGA
Once again we need your help to call/write/email both your NC Senator and Representative. The effort to end state taxation on military pension cleared the House by a 100-5 vote and is currently contained in the Senate’s proposed budget. The House and the Senate are currently in closed conference on the budget and if it remains in the budget will to Governor Cooper for signature with the remainder of the budget.
While this is great news there is a possibility it might NOT REMAIN in the budget and your Association needs your help. A lobbying group focused solely retirement tax exemption for state employees is undertaking an effort to include ALL state government retirees in the same group as the military. As you can imagine this would greatly increase the price tag of the budget and there are a number of bills that proposed this already and none of them made it out of committee.
A possible outcome is that the elected officials hear from a number of state employees and a decision is made to take NO ACTION. This is exactly what happened in past efforts. This is why your Senator and Representative need to hear from you.
You can find them at https://ncleg.gov/FindYourLegislators and you can use the draft letter as an actual letter, email, or script for phone call.
Dear Senator or Representative _______________,
I am a member/retiree of the North Carolina National Guard. I am also a constituent of your district.
I am writing today to ask for your support to Eliminate Income Tax for Military Retirees contained in the current Senate budget. As you know, this Bill, if passed, would permit more recent Military Retirees to deduct their Military Retired Pay from NC Income Tax. Passage of this legislation would encourage retiring Service Members to stay in, or relocate to, North Carolina, where their contributions to the state economy would be far greater than the revenue lost from this deduction. The North Carolina National Guard Association and other Veterans organizations have been supporting legislation of this type for many years and are encouraged by the broad support for HB 83, that contained the same language that is contained in the current Senate budget proposal.
HB 83 passed in the House by a vote of 100 – 5, which shows that military tax exemption has strong support in the General Assembly. As you know, there are a number of groups, specifically the 4th Branch, that is advocating for tax free retirement for all NC public service heroes along with the military tax exemption effort. While I am not speaking out against this effort I am asking you to stay the course on the current legislative path and not allow the military tax exemption effort to end because of the state retiree effort.
While these state employees do play a critical role in supporting and protecting North Carolina Citizens the U.S. military is clearly in a class of its own in its role to our Nation and State. This is evident by recent events within and outside of our state. Furthermore, the legislature has a number of tools available to them to influence the state retiree program. For our military members there is no such tools available.
Passage of military pension tax exemption would be an excellent step toward making NC a more military friendly state. Thank you for your consideration of this request and for your continuing support of NC military personnel, veterans and their families.
Sincerely,
____________
Apply for the S.A.R.G.E. Grant EANGUS
WCFA offers an opportunity to a current or former enlisted National Guard member who is in good standing and is an EANGUS dues paying member (Life or Annual) who has experienced a catastrophic financial hardship and/or personal property loss to apply for a Soldier & Airman Relief Grant for Emergencies (hereafter referred to as “SARGE”). Grants may be used for financial hardships related to events such as mobilization, natural disasters, fires and other catastrophic losses. The grants are intended for otherwise non-reimbursable expenses (i.e., not covered by insurance) due to these events and include medical bills, utility bills, rent or mortgage payments, groceries, relocation, shelter due to loss of residence and funeral expenses. Other expenses, not listed here, may be deemed appropriate and approved by the committee. Grants are typically $500 and are transmitted to the individual usually within 5 days after receipt of completed application.
Roll Call: Drill Weekend Talking Points EANGUS
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 2021 on 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 Legislative Action Center
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 approve 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 Scholarship 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:
- Open the Amazon app on your phone
- Select the main menu (=) & tap on “AmazonSmile” within Programs & Features
- Select “EANGUS We Care For America Foundation Inc” as your charity
- 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.
The Foundation has received funding from USAA for Phase 4 of the 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. Grant funds should be utilized for basic household needs such as food, housing, utilities, medical services, childcare, and other essential family support items which have become difficult to afford as a result of the national pandemic. In order to assist as many National Guard members as possible, grants are capped at $500.
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..
Operation Vetcare
Operation VetCare was established in 2017 by EANGUS as 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!
14th Annual Len Adams Memorial Scholarship Golf Tournament NCNGA
Join us for the 14th Annual Len Adams Memorial Scholarship Golf Tournament. See attached flier for more, information.
Help us grow the Tarheel Minuteman Foundation! There are multiple ways to donate NCNGA
One of the easiest ways to donate is through the Amazon Smiles program. At no extra cost to you, this program offers a small percentage of the price of your Amazon purchases to your selected charity, The Tarheel Minuteman Foundation. This can be done via the web at smile.amazon.com or on the Amazon App following these steps below:
- Open the Amazon app on your phone
- Select the main menu (=) & tap on “AmazonSmile” within Programs & Features
- Select “Tarheel Minuteman Foundation” as your charity
- Follow the on-screen instructions to activate AmazonSmile in the mobile app
For the first time, the Tarheel Minuteman Foundation is a part of the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC)! NCNGA
Once you make an account through the CFC website, you can select the Tarheel Minuteman Foundation as the recipient using our code 94853. Donations can be made via payroll deduction, or they can be one-time or recurring monthly pledges via credit/debit card. For more information about how to donate, please visit https://www.ncnga.org/CFC.php. Donations will be used to help fund scholarships for NC National Guard Members, Retirees, and families.
If you would prefer to donate to a local campaign rather than a national one, the Tarheel Minuteman Foundation is also a part of the State Employees Combined Campaign. Donations can be made via payroll deduction, credit card, cash, or check after filling out the donation form available online at https://www.ncsecc.org/donate-now/. Our charity code is 4132, and donations will be used to fund scholarships just like the CFC campaign.
Greensboro Science Center Day Camp NCNGA
Please see the flyer for the Greensboro Science Center Day Camp that Child & Youth is hosting on 25 September. Space is limited do to Covid guidelines so please share with your families and let them know to register asap before the event is full.
If you have any additional questions please call a member of the Child & Youth Team:
Carla Esworthy 984-664-6082
Amanda Kohl 984-664-6676
Kristi Wagner 984-661-4761
NCNG Family Programs Update & Information NCNGA
The Mission of the ARNG Family Program is to empower Soldiers and Families to become resilent and sustainable as well as ensure all Soldiers and Families are entitled, informed, educated, assisted, and made ready for the unique demands of military life before, during, and after deployment.
Please take a look at the below Family Programs Updated Quick Reference Guide and Map.
Please visit our Facebook page for all current and upcoming events as well as submit any feedback to help make our program better!
https://www.facebook.com/NCNGFP/
Monthly Update from Defense Alliance of North Carolina NCNGA
The Defense Alliance of North Carolina is a private, nonprofit, organization focused on strengthening North Carolina’s defense sector and those who support it.
The Alliance combines the powerful leadership of distinguished military officers and industry executives, a large and active membership base, and an impressive set of standing forums and events to support North Carolina’s government, military, business, and academic communities.
Join or sign up for their newsletter here.
6th Annual NCNG Guard 2 Beach This October! NCNGA
The Sixth Annual North Carolina National Guard Guard 2 Beach Ride is scheduled for October 1st – 3rd!
$60 for 1 day & $70 for 3 days. Entry fee includes all meals, rider support and shirt. Proceeds go to the NC National Guard Education Foundation.
1 or 2 day ride with 3 groups@ Raleigh to Roseboro on Day 1, Roseboro to Wilmington on Day 2, and Wilmington to Fort Fisher on Day 3. Free overnight in Guard armories. Free transportation to starting point.
Registration is now open for 2021 Tarheel Retiree Homecoming NCNGA 
FOR: Army and Air National Guard Retirees
DATE: Friday, December 10, 2021
EVENT REGISTRATION: 0900-1000 HRS
LOCATION: Joint Force Headquarters, 1636 Gold Star Drive, Raleigh, NC 27607
INCLUDES: Mission updates, benefits seminar, various information stations, luncheon, and a social time.
REGISTRATION: If paying by card, complete this form online or call the NCNGA office at 919-851-3390.
Otherwise, send the form in the attached pdf and a check for $10.00 per person payable to “NCNGA” on or before 1
December 2021 to:
NCNGA
ATTN: Tarheel Homecoming
7410 Chapel Hill Rd
Raleigh, NC 27607
NOTE: Seating is limited to 350; please make your reservation as soon as possible.
QUESTIONS: Contact NCNGA at 919-851-3390 or info@ncnga.org.
Registration is now open for 2022 Annual Convention – Register early. NCNGA 
Registration for the 2022 Annual Convention is now open!
This Week in NCNG History NCNG Museum
If you know of anything significant to the NCNG that occurred on any of these dates, and would like it added to our records, please email 1LT Dearie at kory.k.dearie.mil@mail.mil
September 9th — Today in Guard History National Guard
1943
Salerno, Italy – As part of the Allied invasion of Italy the Americans land four divisions south of Naples. Three of these were the Guard’s 34th (IA, MN, ND, SD), 36th (TX) and 45th (AZ, CO, NM, OK) infantry divisions. Little resistance was expected since the Italian government had surrendered just prior to the landings. However strong German forces contest the invasion and inflicted heavy causalities on the Americans. During this operation the 3rd Battalion, 141st Infantry, 36th Infantry Division earns a Presidential Unit Citation for its determined advance in spite of concentrated enemy fire. The 36th and 45th divisions would later take part in the invasion of southern France and end the war deep inside of Germany, while the 34th Division would continue fighting up the Italian “boot” securing the Po River Valley by war’s end.
Read More…
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