NCNGA Weekly Guardsman for April 14, 2022
April 14th, 2022
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IN THIS EDITION:
Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pets EANGUS
National Guard brigade takes on Army modernization mission NationalGaurd.mil
North Carolina National Guard honored with new museum in Raleigh ABC11
Army and Air National Guard members compete at Spartan race for overall wins DVIDS
EANGUS Roll Call: Drill Weekend Talking Points EANGUS
Highlighting EANGUS and NGAUS’s upcoming conferences NCNGA
Tickets-At-Work: Members get Discounts on Tickets NCNGA
This Week in NCNG History NCNG Museum
April 14th — Today in Guard History National Guard
Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pets EANGUS
The Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pets organization supports active duty service members, wounded warriors, veterans, and their beloved companion animals through many services.
Their Pet Home Foster Program does amazing work. They find safe foster homes for pets of deploying active duty service members while their owners are out protecting our country. In addition, they have a Military Pet Assistance fund that is used to help homeless veterans pay for veterinary care.
If you would like any information on how to use the organizations services, donate, become a volunteer or even to become a foster home yourself, use this link: https://gafsp.org
Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet
National Guard brigade takes on Army modernization mission NationalGaurd.mil
FORT STEWART, Ga. – The Citizen-Soldiers of the 130th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, North Carolina National Guard, have a lot on their plates, from civilian careers to responding to emergencies in their state. But when they received the mission to help the Army Modernization Enterprise assess a future Army formation, they quickly prepared themselves.
The 130th MEB deployed to Fort Stewart, Georgia, in late March to replicate a Protection Brigade, one of the future Army formations being assessed during the U.S. Army Joint Modernization Command’s Joint Warfighting Assessment 22.
The Protection Brigade is a future unit formation that supports the Penetration Division, also being assessed during JWA 22. The Penetration Division is being replicated by Soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division on Fort Stewart.
The Protection Brigade reduces the command and control demand on the division rear command post and provides a headquarters and commander solely focused on protection warfighting across the area of operations.
Col. Jerry Baird Jr., commander of the 130th MEB, said it took his Soldiers some quick education to pivot from their civilian jobs to helping the Army modernize, but they were up for the challenge.
“Our goal is: No active-duty division is going to be waiting on us,” Baird said. “We are going to learn it as fast as we can. They have to understand that initially, we will look more like a pontoon boat and less like a Jet Ski because we’re trying to catch up. But by the end of it, we’re able to hold our own, and I’d say we are an enabler. I’ve spoken to numerous 3rd Infantry Division senior leaders who have said, ‘You guys energize us.’”
North Carolina National Guard honored with new museum in Raleigh ABC11
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — The North Carolina National Guard is being honored with its own museum.
The museum opened Thursday across from the Museum of Art in Raleigh.
In March, soldiers installed a tank and combat vehicles at the site of the museum on Blue Ridge Road, right across from the art museum.
It will collect, preserve and display artifacts, documents and memorabilia that have historical significance. The museum will also include a research library, interactive displays and a theater.
Army and Air National Guard members compete at Spartan race for overall wins DVIDS
The National Guard’s All Guard Endurance Team sent over 40 service members to the Spartan Sprint 5k with over 20 obstacles hosted at a 600-acre farm in Concord, North Carolina, on April 9-10.
From California, Maj. Robert Killian has won the Army’s Best Ranger competition twice, Spartan World Championship obstacle race winner, and this weekend finished first in the men’s elite category, alongside 2nd Lt. Dayde Collins who came in second overall from Utah in the same category.
According to race.spartan.com, the Sprint is a 5K trail run with 20 obstacles, held on off-road terrain featuring water and mud.
Killian who is a Spartan Elite athlete consistently at the events was modest, at the end of the race stating ” I’ve raced the same guys over and over again in these competitions and begin to learn their strengths and weaknesses. I look forward to competing in the next Spartan race and enjoying the challenges of the obstacles at each race,” he added.
“I love competing in these events and representing the National Guard and coming out and teaching my teammates how to improve their obstacle skills,” he concluded.
On the endurance team, the service members come from 35 different states and territories and consist of 42 male and 17 female slots on the team.
“I heard about the team on complete accident last year that the guard was looking for some interested athletic members to try out for an endurance team,” said Technical Sgt. Brandon Eckel, from the Tennessee Air Guard.
EANGUS Roll Call: Drill Weekend Talking Points EANGUS
After close to six months of Continuing Resolutions and concerns over Government Shutdowns, Congress was finally able to work together to pass an appropriations bill that will fund the government, including the Department of Defense (DoD), through the remaining months of the Fiscal Year 2022. On March 15, 2022, the President signed H.R. 2471, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022. Within this Omnibus Appropriations, “Division C” includes the Department of Defense appropriations, and “Division J” consists of the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies appropriations. This initial summary will highlight some essential topics funded for F.Y. 2022.
For 2022, the DoD appropriations bill provides $728.5 billion in discretionary spending, increasing $32.5 billion above 2021. The 2022 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill provide $284.6 billion, an increase of $32.7 billion – more than 13 percent – above 2021. Of this amount, discretionary funding for programs such as Veterans’ health care and military construction totals $127.6 billion, an increase of $14.4 billion above 2021.
- Funds a 2.7% military pay raise
- Funds an end strength of 336,000 (500 below FY21) for the ARNG and 108,300 (200 above FY21) for the ANG
- Funds Full-Time force of 30,845 (250 above FY21) for the ARNG and 25,333 (2,696 below FY21 and $1,328 below budget request)
- $9,018M for ARNG Personnel, a decrease of $33.6M from the FY22 PBR
- $4,764M for ANG Personnel, a reduction of $50.5M from the FY22 PBR
- $7,714M for ARNG O&M, an increase of $67.2M from the FY22 PBR
- $6,786M for ANG O&M, an increase of $212.4M from the FY22 PBR
- Appropriates $285M each for the ARNG and ANG in NGREA
- Adds $20M for C-130 Airborne Firefighting Systems
- Adds $42M for STARBASE
- Adds $85.3M for the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program
- National Guard Counter-Drug Program
- Funds $194.2M for the National Guard Counter-Drug Program, an increase of $97.2M from the FY22 PBR
- Funds $25.6M for National Guard Counter-Drug Schools, an increase of $20.0M from the FY22 PBR
- Additional Funds for ARNG Programs
- Adds $211.5M for nine HH-60M Blackhawks
- Adds $100M for HMMWV Modernization
- Adds $1.5M Personnel and $534K O&M for Advanced Trauma and Public Health Direct Training Services
- Adds $10M Personnel and $13M O&M for Exercise Northern Strike
- Adds $32.1 for Army National Guard Special Training, including:
- $7.9M Personnel and $5.0M O&M for State Partnership Program
- $6.5 M Personnel and $1.5M O&M for Wildfire Training
- $1.2M Personnel and $2.0M O&M for Trauma Training
- $6.0M Personnel and $2M O&M for Cybersecurity Technical Assistance Pilot Program
- Adds $3M for Warrior Resiliency and Fitness
- Adds $19.8M O&M for Implementation of the Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault in the Military
- Additional Funds for ANG Programs
- Adds $1.8B for 16 other C-130J aircraft for ANG Operational SQDNS
- Adds $2.7M Personnel and $1.8M O&M for Advanced Trauma and Public Health Direct Training Services
- Adds $42.9M for Air National Guard Special Training, including
- $2.5M Personnel and $3.7M O&M for State Partnership Program
- $3M Personnel for Critical Skillsets Crosstraining
- $12.7M Personnel and $10M O&M for RC-26B
- $2.4M Personnel and $2.0 O&M for Trauma Training
- $5.5 M Personnel and $1.1M O&M for Wildfire Training
- Adds $3.0M for Warrior Resiliency and Fitness
- Adds $540K Personnel and $6.4M O&M for Implementation of the Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault in the Military
- Prohibits funds from being used to reduce authorized positions for National Guard military technicians
One additional Highlight of this bill is found in Division CC.
The Burial Equity for Guards and Reserves Act prohibits restricting the internment of Guardsmen and Reservists in state veterans’ cemeteries. This issue was identified, and EANGUS strongly advocated for its passage. EANGUS sent out a Call-To-Action on this topic in February, and with our member’s help, we were able to get this legislation passed.
EANGUS Legislative Action Center
EANGUS SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINES TO APPLY
Great educational opportunities for EANGUS members and their dependents! Our scholarship program is one of the primary benefits we offer to our members and their dependents. Each year, we award multiple scholarships with a total value of over $400,000.
The EANGUS Scholarship Program offers the award of many full-tuition scholarships provided by our partner institutions:
Colorado Technical University
2 undergraduate, graduate or doctorate scholarships (closes 1 April 2022)
University of Phoenix
3 undergraduate or graduate scholarships (closes 20 April 2022)
Sonoran Desert Institute
Associates in Science in Firearms Technology (opening soon)
Currently, there is over $26,000 in corporate and individual donations toward the CSM Virgil Williams $2000 Scholarships, Patriot $1000 Scholarships, and the CSMAC $1000 Scholarships. These scholarships are awarded and applied to the school of your choice toward tuition and educational costs.
Check out the https://eangus.org/scholarship-information/ for details and application information for each institution and scholarships we offer.
Highlighting EANGUS and NGAUS’s upcoming conferences NCNGA
While our conference in Wilmington last week was a success, we want to highlight EANGUS and NGAUS’s upcoming conferences for their members! Be sure to sign up soon to reserve your spot.
For information on EANGUS: https://eangusconference.org/
For information on NGAUS: https://www.ngaus.org/…/144th-general-conference…
Highly Decorated Vietnam Era Marine Honored, Mourned, Laid to Rest in Arizona DVIDS
Honor, courage, and commitment are core values instilled within every United States Marine. The late Lt. Col David Althoff lived and served in accordance with these values and led by example in showing his fellow Marines what it meant to put these words into action throughout his impressive 22 year career. However, it is his leadership, and steadfast resiliency in combat, as well as his courage and unwavering calmness in the heat of battle, which cement his legacy in Marine Corps History. The humble Illinois native is credited with flying over 1,000 combat missions and is revered as one of the Marine Corps most decorated wartime aviators.
Althoff began his illustrious military career as a member of the Army National Guard in July of 1950, spending his first 18 months as an artilleryman.
“In the reserves we go every month on a Saturday, we spent all day drilling, learning military tactics and techniques,” Althoff explained in an interview with his son before his passing. “Every summer we’d go down for two months in Fort Huachuca and fire all day long. My job initially was to load shells into that Howitzer, I’d slam it in there with my fist and close the door. Then I graduated a little bit. I was pulling the cord rather than shoving the shells. That was a lot easier. I finally ended up being in the fire direction center, where all I did was plot the direction the can should be pointing and move the azimuth up and down to get closer or further away. I observed the target and the hits to plot them on a chart.”
During his time as a Soldier, Althoff attended Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. With the start of the Korean War, the draft was initiated to expand the size of the armed forces. Althoff and his roommate knew there was no way for them to avoid the draft and they, collectively, made the decision to join the Air Force.
“We got there and the damn line was two blocks long just to get to talk to the recruiter. So I said well let’s go talk to the Navy guy for a little bit till the line calms down then we’ll come back and we’ll join the Air Force,” said Althoff. “Well…by the time we talked to the Navy recruiter for about 10 minutes we were signing on the dotted line to go to Navy flight training, but since we didn’t have a college degree we signed to be naval aviation cadets.”
Tickets-At-Work: Members get Discounts on Tickets NCNGA
Tickets at Work: The benefits are endless when it comes to being a NCNGA member! Check out our Tickets-At-Work program, where members can get discounts on tickets from Busch Gardens all the way to Disney. For more information, visit https://www.ncnga.org/benefits.php#Discount
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
April 14th — Today in Guard History National Guard
1865
Washington, DC – President Abraham Lincoln is assassinated just five days after Lee’s surrender effectively ends the Civil War. Lincoln had served as a volunteer in the Illinois militia during the Black Hawk War in 1832, though the war ended before he saw any combat. He was quickly elected captain by his men, a moment of pride he spoke of often in later life.
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