The July Roll Call Wrap Up contains talking points that you can use to explain to your Soldiers and Airmen the importance of belonging to Professional Associations and exactly what EANGUS is doing on behalf of the National Guard. If it is not important to the Sr NCOs, then it won’t be important to the Jr NCOs, then it won’t be important to the rest of the Soldiers and Airmen. If that happens, we can close the doors and go home.
Just a few decades ago, the National Guard was considered a Strategic Reserve, which meant hand-me-down equipment, fewer school slots, less benefits, and less relevance. That was the National Guard that I enlisted in, and we cannot go back there. The Soldiers and Airmen today know only a combat footing, deployments, new equipment, and training. When the purse strings get tight, those things will end, and Active Duty is determined to say relevant even if it is at the expense of the Reserve Component.
While a large group of those in EANGUS are retirees, we are fighting for those serving in the National Guard today. Explain to them that it is their equipment, jobs, training, and relevance that we are working for. If you explain it to them, then will understand that it is in their best interest to get involved. If you tell them to fork over their dues money, they won’t.
Get into your Armories and Squadrons, and take 10 minutes to share the information on the Roll Call Wrap Up. If they don’t join after hearing that, at least they can’t say that they didn’t know what was at stake.
Ask them this question: “Why is it that a National Guardsman who works for the Guard full time forfeits any bonuses that he/she is otherwise entitled to, when EVERY Soldier and Airman on Active Duty receives their bonuses that they are eligible for”? If having a full time job in the military is incentive enough to stay in, and we don’t need to pay them bonuses, why would Active Duty Soldiers and Airmen ever receive a bonus? If that doesn’t get your unit members involved in your Association, then get on to the next unit and get them this information. Eventually, they will get it, lets just hope it is before all the Apache helicopters are taken out of the National Guard.
John Harris
President, EANGUS