| Sooner State welcomes National Guard enlisted association members to 36th annual conference in Oklahoma City |
196th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment OKLAHOMA CITY—Soldiers and Airmen voiced concerns and questions about everything from equipment shortages and homeland defense to training, education and insurance during the annual conference of the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States. The weeklong, late summer conference in this Midwestern city drew about 2,000 Army and Air National Guardmembers. The annual conference—this year’s was Aug. 11-15—serves as a forum for members and supporters of the National Guard to further professional development, discuss current issues pertaining to the quality of life of Soldiers and Airmen, and develop resolutions that can be passed on to state and federal legislatures, according to Ohio Air National Guard Chief Master Sgt. Randy Dunham, a member of the 179th Airlift Wing and president of the Ohio National Guard Enlisted Association. “This conference is the culmination of a year of hard work by Association leadership,” Dunham said. “It also marks the beginning of a new year by allowing us to plan our agenda for the next 12 months and put into action our goals and objectives for next year.” At the conference, many topics are brought to the floor, including uniforms, veterans’ treatment, benefits, equipment shortages, recruiting and retention, and equal opportunity considerations for all servicemembers. Speakers included Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum, chief, National Guard Bureau; Lt. Gen. Craig McKinley, director of the Air National Guard; Chief Master Sgt. Dick Smith, Air National Guard command chief; Command Sgt. Major David Ray Hudson, senior enlisted leader; Command Sgt. Major John Gipe, command sergeant major of the Army National Guard; and many other senior leaders. “By being here, junior enlisted can make a difference,” said Sgt. Jessica F. Sowers, a finance noncommissioned officer with Joint Force Headquarters-Ohio who attended this year’s 36th annual conference. “It’s important that junior enlisted experience how many of our benefits are gained. This conference shows us that.” Ohio was well-represented by senior leadership with both of the state’s top enlisted advisers in attendance. “The goal of EANGUS is to provide all Soldiers and Airmen additional benefits and a quality of life than we currently have,” said Command Sgt. Maj. William L. Gilliam, state command sergeant major for the Ohio Army National Guard. “EANGUS does a great job of pushing those items to the top.” Chief Master Sgt. Chris Muncy, Ohio’s command chief, is also a strong supporter of EANGUS. As a past president of the Ohio chapter, he understands the importance of strong membership. “It lends much more credibility to our organization when our leadership goes to Capitol Hill and says they’re representing 80,000 enlisted members instead of 40,000 members,” he said. “That’s why we need our senior NCOs encouraging our junior enlisted to support our professional organizations.” From its inauguration, the voice of EANGUS has been heard on Capitol Hill through the campaigning of vigorous interest groups, according to information provided by EANGUS. Since it was formed in 1972, guardmembers have benefited in many forms. Some benefits include health insurance, pay increases and bonuses. EANGUS—or more accurately its subordinate state-level organizations—has accomplished much on an individual state basis too, granting educational scholarships, low cost home loans and group life insurance for the advancement and benefit of National Guardmembers. EANGUS’ membership continues to grow with numbers approaching the 85,000 mark, including pending memberships sponsored by the United Services Automobile Association (USAA). In addition, family members, employers and retirees are associate members of the organization, Dunham said. Several members of Congress also support EANGUS through the National Guard and Reserve Components caucus, with more than 160 members, co-chaired by U.S. Reps. Steve Buyer of Indiana—himself a colonel in the Army Reserve—and Gene Taylor of Mississippi, Dunham said. As a long-time member of The Military Coalition, EANGUS has the support of 35 military service and veterans organizations, a collection of more than 5.5 million voting members. For more information on ONGEA and EANGUS, call (800) 486-2216 or go to www.ongea.org. |
