To: EANGUS Members
From: EANGUS National Office
Please share the following Roll Call: Drill Weekend Talking Points with other unit members
Roll Call:
Drill Weekend Talking Points – February 2021
New EANGUS Legislative Director
We are excited to have Kevin Hollinger join the EANGUS team as of January 25, 2021. Kevin previously served two years as the Legislative Director for the Reserve Officers Association (ROA). His legislative skills, understanding and experience working with Congressional members and staff on Capitol Hill combined with his understanding of the National Guard make him an outstanding selection as our Legislative Director. He has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a Juris Doctorate degree, having also worked as a Constitutional Defense Attorney for four years. Kevin served in the Indiana Army National Guard until his retirement in 2018. He can be reached at kevin@eangus.org
National Guard Caucus
The House and the Senate announced their Co-Chairs for the National Guard Caucus. EANGUS has a long-standing relationship with both of these Caucuses, and they have proven to be an intricate part of our legislative process.
Senate National Guard Caucus House Guard & Reserve Caucus
Lindsey Graham (R-SC) Patrick Leahy (D-VT) Steve Palazzo (R-MS) Tim Ryan (D-OH)
Bost Urges DoD to Clarify Shifting Policy Impacting GI Bill Eligibility
Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL.), the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, released the following statement after sending a letter to Secretary of Defense, Lloyd J. Austin III, regarding National Guard Members’ eligibility for GI Bill benefits following the Biden Administration’s recent termination of the national emergency declaration at the southern border.
“The Biden Administration’s decision to reverse the emergency declaration at the southern border risks national security. It also risks the education of thousands of members of the National Guard who are still deployed there,” said Ranking Member Bost. “Secretary Austin must immediately tell us whether those serving at the border since January 20th are receiving the same credit toward the GI Bill that they were on January 19th. Their service has not changed. Their benefits should not change either. The National Guard has stepped up in extraordinary ways over the last year. They have left their families and lives behind to serve on federal duty at the border, in DC, and elsewhere. Every single one of them should receive full GI Bill credit for their service. I stand ready to work with the Secretary to make sure they get exactly that.”
The status of servicemembers of the National Guard currently serving at the southern border includes end strength and the statutory authority for their service. Rep. Bost asked for clarification on whether the rescission of Presidential Proclamation 9844 eliminates the ability for members of the National Guard currently serving on the southern border to continue to receive credit towards Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits and, if so, how that is being communicated to them.
As EANGUS members know, we are continually pushing for our well-deserved benefits. We will continue to monitor this situation and ensure everyone is receiving updated information. We will be assisting Rep. Bost with any follow on legislation he feels is needed.
2021 Legislative Workshop
The 2021 Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States (EANGUS) Legislative Workshop and Storm the Hill Event will be conducted virtually this year as a result of ongoing precautions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though this workshop will be held virtually, we are sure that each participant will find value in the outstanding content that will be provided. We welcome State Association leaders and EANGUS members nationwide to participate in the Workshop and help kick-off our advocacy efforts for the 117th Congress. The Legislative Committee and the EANGUS National Office staff will host guest speakers and panel discussions during the event that are sure to be intriguing and insightful. Even though we will be unable to conduct our Congressional Reception this year due to the virtual nature of this event, we still hope to recognize those Congressional Members and Staff who contributed the most to our legislative efforts in 2020 during this Workshop.
Legislative Workshop:
Saturday, February 27, 2021
Noon to 1700 Eastern Time
Membership
To: All EANGUS Members,
The word February comes from the Latin word februa, which means “to cleanse”. Also known as the shortest month in the annual calendar, February is historically referred to as the month of love.
EANGUS loves its members – the proud men and women that serve or have served in the National Guard – and have shown the determined spirit of the Citizen-Soldier.
This month, I challenge all state associations to conduct a “cleanse” of your contact rosters, in an effort to ensure we have the most accurate contact and membership data. If someone in our association has a new address, phone number or even changed units, we can take this opportunity to update our data systems and eliminate errors. In doing so, we can also positively impact our members by showing our love and care for them. EANGUS would not be the organization it has become over the years without the faithfulness and dedication of its members.
In a quest to literally gain 2,021 new members, we must ensure that our rosters are accurate and that our unit goals are reflecting the true number of EANGUS Members.
Take a moment to see where your state association stands by viewing this link: https://dev.eangus.org/wp/state-membership/
For February, I challenge all current members to seek out TWO junior enlisted Soldiers or Airmen and encourage them to join this great organization. Focus on a minimum of TWO for the month of February and encourage others to do the same. If you can commit to TWO, and follow through ensuring that your TWO recruits actually JOIN in February, you will be doing a great service to the overall EANGUS membership.
If you have any questions, please contact us directly at membership@eangus.org.
Thank you for being a member and for working to help others join EANGUS.
Respectfully,
Johnathan Wilson and Josh Wermers
EANGUS Membership Committee
