The National Guard Association of the United States

NGAUS will hold its first virtual seminar for retired association members Dec. 4 from 1 to 3 p.m. EST. The seminar will be on Microsoft Teams, and attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions of retired Army National Guard Brig. Gen. Maureen Weigl, a sought-after expert on retiree and veterans’ benefits. More about the event: https://lnkd.in/eBRRJcBn Link to register is below.

The nation's governors have called on lawmakers to act swiftly to pass the annual defense policy bill with a provision preserving state authority over the National Guard. National Governors Association National Guard Bureau https://lnkd.in/eBDS7Hmn

Massachusetts National Guard's Camp Edwards has been recognized as the 2024 Northeast Region Military Conservation Partner by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Well done! Massachusetts National Guard https://lnkd.in/e8hmys7V

Every year, members of North Dakota's civic and military communities gather at NGAUS to spend time with their federal representatives exchanging ideas and insight on the important issues of the day. Brig. Gen. Mitchell R. Johnson, North Dakota Adjutant General (pictured below), addressed the attendees, including members of the National Guard Association of North Dakota and several civic organizations. North Dakota's congressional delegation - Sen. John Hoeven (pictured below), Sen. Kevin Cramer and Representative-elect Julie Fedorchak - were all generous with their time. The engagement of the participants is why the annual event remains a successful and worthwhile event.

"We're going to continue to advocate against this because we think it's wrong for the country," said retired Maj. General Frank McGinn, the NGAUS president. Scripps News' Maya Rodriquez reports on continued efforts of NGAUS, governors and a bipartisan coalition in Congress remain opposed to efforts by the Air Force to circumvent the longstanding authority of governors over their Guard units. https://lnkd.in/eg42dUbw

Join us in welcoming William Matney, an Army National Guardsman with the Virginia Guard, to the NGAUS team. Wil joined the legislative team earlier this month! https://lnkd.in/eXjvPWV6

In a Nov. 13 letter to the leaders of the House and Senate appropriations committees, retired Maj. Gen. Francis M. McGinn, the NGAUS president, outlined the association’s priorities, including funds for major vehicle acquisitions and modernization efforts. https://lnkd.in/enyZ3xET

In remarks to NGAUS' 146th General Conference & Exhibition in August, candidate Trump said, "As president, I will sign historic legislation creating a Space National Guard.” One Guard official noted to Breaking Defense that President-elect Trump recently vowed to keep his campaign promises. “This will be a very easy one to chalk up in his first 100 days, because it’s been talked about for so many years,” said the official, who spoke to Breaking Defense on the condition of anonymity. https://lnkd.in/gDjKib7B

Consideration of the NGAUS 2025 operating budget and the pending legislation before Congress will top the agenda when the association’s board of directors gathers this weekend at the National Guard Memorial, the NGAUS headquarters in Washington, D.C., for its final meeting of the year. The meeting will be Maj. Gen. Paul Rogers’ first as the association's chairman of the board. Delegates to the 146th NGAUS General Conference & Exhibition elected him to the position in August. He is the adjutant general of Michigan. https://lnkd.in/eqD_Xw4N

Veterans Day Message from Maj. Gen. Francis M. McGinn (Ret.), the NGAUS president: "When we assumed the soldier, we did not lay aside the citizen,” reads the quote inscribed on the colonnade in the Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery. The words written in a letter from George Washington to the New York Provincial Congress in June 1775 speak to what the National Guard embodies: citizen and soldier. On Monday, military and civilian leaders, distinguished guests and citizens will gather in the amphitheater for the 71st annual National Veterans Day Observance, an opportunity to honor and recognize all who served in the U.S. armed forces. The public recognition of the soldiers, airmen, sailors and Marines who have stepped forward to raise their right hand is necessary. Perhaps it is even more necessary today for us as veterans to speak as citizens about our experiences as soldiers. Many, including myself, first heard about service from family members, mentors, friends or even neighbors. Earlier this year, I read about Airman Hannah Meier, a personnelist assigned to the 118th Force Support Squadron, who joined the Tennessee Air National Guard, in part, because of the service of her grandfather, mother, and uncle. Her story is like many who chose to enlist for the opportunity to contribute to their community and country. Veterans Day is certainly a time to give thanks for the men and women over generations who showed courage and commitment in defense of our freedoms. Share your service with your civilian colleagues and fellow citizens as a lasting legacy, a gift to the next generation. It was Pericles, the Greek statesman and general of Athens, who said: “What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.” Particularly on this day, take a moment to give thanks to all who have served and to those standing ready today and tomorrow to protect and defend us.