NCNGA Weekly Guardsman for June 2, 2022
June 2nd, 2022
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IN THIS EDITION:
National Guard support strengthens NATO readiness in Europe DVIDS
600-Mile Memorial Day Race Caps Off Monthlong Military-NASCAR Partnership DoD
Read the latest edition of the Tarheel Guardsman NCNGA
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
June 2nd — Today in Guard History National Guard
National Guard support strengthens NATO readiness in Europe DVIDS
More than 20,000 servicemembers from over 20 countries supporting the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, to include National Guard, showcased their integrated military capabilities during large-scale exercises throughout Europe during April and May.
This compilation of the world’s largest peacetime military alliance conducted activities ranging from cyber warfare to airborne operations across Baltic and Balkan regions, bordering the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
These exercises are designed to ensure the U.S., NATO and its partner nations, “are prepared to defend every inch of NATO territory with a strong, combat-credible force to ensure we stay stronger together in the face of any aggression,” said Gen. Christopher Cavoli, U.S. Army Europe and Africa commanding general.
The Guard supported exercises Locked Shields, Swift Response and DEFENDER-Europe 2022. Guard members traveled to Europe from Connecticut, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Vermont, and West Virginia to participate in the exercises.
So far this year, more than 4,000 Guard members supported these and other exercises in Europe.
“The National Guard has been a major contributor to U.S. European Command exercises this year,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Jessica Meyeraan, director of USEUCOM exercises and assessments. “When these forces train alongside allies and partners, it’s mutually beneficial. Not only does it improve interoperability and capability within the alliance, the National Guard units receive immeasurable benefit from these training engagements.”
In April, West Virginia and North Carolina National Guard members joined exercise Locked Shields 22, one of the world’s largest international cyber defense exercise with more than 2,000 participants from 24 nations. The annual exercise was run virtually by the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence in Tallinn, Estonia, April 19-21.
During the exercise, the participants formed Cyber Rapid Reaction Teams, and deployed to assist a fictional country in handling a large-scale cyber incident.
“I think Locked Shields showcased the unique capabilities the National Guard is able to bring to the cyber battlefront,” said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Ian Frist, an exercise participant with the West Virginia Guard’s 197th Regiment (Regional Training Institute). “Living in both worlds gives me an incredibly unique perspective on cybersecurity operations that I felt was indispensable during the exercise,” he said.
600-Mile Memorial Day Race Caps Off Monthlong Military-NASCAR Partnership DoD
This Memorial Day weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina features 37 race cars, 600 miles of racing, more than 150,000 fans and a whole lot of service members and equipment representing those who defend the nation.
The three-day event, which kicks off Friday, involves a joint color guard, and personalized introductions of race drivers by service members. Each of the services will also have an array of equipment on-site to allow fans to interact with military equipment and service members.
Service members in uniform and racecar drivers stand in a formation at a racetrack. One holds a flag.
The Army, for instance, is scheduled to conduct Howitzer and UH-60 Black Hawk demonstrations courtesy of soldiers from Fort Bragg, the 82nd Airborne Chorus will perform “God Bless America,” among other selections, and a soldier will sing the National Anthem before the start of the race.
The Air Force will conduct a flyover of C-17 aircraft and swear in new Airmen who are currently in the delayed entry program.
A Marine from the “The Commandant’s Own” U.S. Marine Drum and Bugle Corps will play “Taps,” and Marines with the Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon will conduct multiple precision drill performances for attendees.
“The show includes a lot of drill movements, throwing of rifles and spinning of rifles,” said Capt. Nick Maguire, commander of the Silent Drill Platoon. “But the platoon is basically the embodiment of our institutional Corps values of honor, courage and commitment. Really, professionalism and discipline are the two words that come to mind for me with watching these guys operate.”
Read the latest edition of the Tarheel Guardsman NCNGA 
The latest edition of the Tarheel Guardsman is now available online at https://ncnga.org/tarheel-guardsman/
EANGUS Roll Call: Drill Weekend Talking Points EANGUS
According to a new Pentagon policy published in February, National Guard and Reserve Servicemembers will receive a Defense Department (DD) Form 214 following their completion of service. DoD Instruction memo dated Feb. 17, 2022, gives the Services three years to implement the change.
The Pentagon action follows language in the fiscal 2020 National Defense Authorization Act requiring the DoD to develop a form that documents a Reserve Component member’s entire time of service. This legislation was supported by EANGUS for over four years and has been closely monitored by the EANGUS legislative team.
Currently, National Guard and Reserve Servicemembers only receive a DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) if they serve more than 90 days on active-duty orders. The form NGB-22 documents cumulative National Guard service. The NGB-22 and the Reserve Component’s training documents have proven to be complicated for VA and other state agencies to evaluate when determining eligibility for National Guard and Reserve Servicemembers.
“EANGUS is excited that DoD has finally taken a positive step forward and created this policy to ensure that National Guard and Reserve Component Servicemembers receive a DD 214 upon completion of their service,” said retired Sergeant Major Matthew Krenz, the EANGUS Executive Director. “However, we believe that there should be additional times other than after service when National Guard and Reserve Component Servicemembers should receive a DD 214. The current legislation introduced in the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate provides additional criteria for when the DD 214 should be issued, and EANGUS will continue to monitor this legislation moving forward.”
Retired Brig. Gen. J. Roy Robinson, the NGAUS president, testified to Congress last month that he often hears of benefits being denied “from the Department of Veterans Affairs or state agencies because they require a DD-214,” which many National Guard Servicemembers lack.
When implemented, the DoD instruction will ensure National Guard Servicemembers and Reservists will receive a DD-214-1 (Certificate of Uniformed Service, Reserve Component Addendum) upon separation or retirement; the DD-214-1 is a new form created by the instruction.
National Guard and Reserve Servicemembers will still receive a standard DD-214-1 if they serve for 90 days or more on federal active duty for training, full-time training duty, active duty for operational support, or more than 30 days of action on a contingency operation. This instruction does not apply to Guardsmen and Reservists who separate or retire before fully implementing the program. It is also policy and not law. Legislation in both the House and Senate would codify the requirement in law.
Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J., Rep. Mike Levin, D-Calif., Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., and Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio are the original sponsors of the Record of Military Service for Members of the Armed Forces Act (H.R. 7041), which was introduced last month. The EANGUS Legislative Director, Kevin Hollinger, has worked with these Congressional Members’ staff to help push this legislation.
EANGUS Legislative Action Center
Register for the Virtual Career Fair
The application period closes on 31 May 2022, at 11:59 pm (MST)
Please note: SDI is unable to offer this scholarship to Guard Members who reside in Connecticut, New York, Washington, D.C., Rhode Island, Puerto Rico, and Guam.
Scholarship requirements and application
The annual conference brings 1,000+ attendees consisting of EANGUS members, National Guard Leadership, State Association Senior Enlisted Leaders, representation from Joint Services, and product end-users.
We are excited to have the National Guard Command Senior Enlisted Leaders (CSEL) present at the EANGUS Conference who jointly hold their annual conference at the same location. In addition, many of the Army National Guard Command Sergeants Major, as well as the Air National Guard Command Chief Master Sergeants from the State and Wing Levels, will be in attendance. Furthermore, each year, EANGUS has a hundred or more National Guard Servicemembers attend our annual conference for Professional Development purposes and our Senior Enlisted leaders provide invaluable insight and mentorship to those that attend. The Senior Enlisted Leaders of the National Guard support EANGUS and their participation greatly increases the value that our attendees receive.
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…
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://ncnga.org/discounts/
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
June 2nd — Today in Guard History National Guard
1865
Galveston, TX – The last Confederate force still in the field surrenders, ending the Civil War. More than 600,000 men died, the vast majority of them serving in state-sponsored units.
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