NEWSLETTER OF THE ENLISTED ASSOCIATION NATIONAL GUARD OF ARIZONA

The Desert Chronicle

SPRING
VOLUME

SPECIAL
POINTS OF
INTEREST:
Legislative News &
Activities
2015 EANGA State
Conference
2015 Legislative
Workshop
2015 Scholarship
Opportunities
43rd Annual Conference
Highlights & Recognition
Fundraisers

If you have any questions or

are interested in joining
EANGUS, please contact our
President Bernardo Acosta at
president@eanga.org or our
Membership Chair at
membership@eanga.org

5,

2015

ISSUE

~ Presidents Update ~
2014 was a busy year for the
AZ Enlisted Association and
2015 is starting out to be a
great year as well. First, I
would like to thank everyone
who served on the 2014 National Conference Team or
helped us in any way! The
conference was one of the
most highly attended EANGUS
National Conferences in the
last five years with over 1300
attendees, exhibitors, and
guests. Arizona received many
accolades for this first class
event which included great
venues and hospitality. I especially want to thank the
many Committee Chairs who
gave their time months in advance. I have included their
names on page 9. We also

wanted to include a few photos from this historic event for

the Arizona association; the
last and only other time we
hosted the National Conference was in 1979. Please
check out the photos and conference information throughout this edition.
I also encourage you to review
the article on page 2 about our
legislative activities. We are
currently making great progress in moving HB2240, the
National Guard Tuition Waivers bill through the AZ legislature. With your help, we hope
it can make it to the desk of
the Governor to be signed in to
law. This is just one example
of the kind of work that

EANGUS/EANGA do on your
behalf...but its your grassroots efforts and the calls and
emails to your elected officials that make the difference! I hope we can count
on you to take action with us!
Finally, as you know, we will
be holding our Annual State
Conference on March 21st at
the Arizona Grand Resort &
Spa. More information is
included on page 3. Hope to
see you there!!
Bernardo M. Acosta, MSG
EANGA President

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~AZ Legislative News: HB 2240~

On February 16, 2015, EANGA put out the first of several emails calling on the support of our membership
for HB2240, which was introduced in the AZ House of Representatives by Rep Mark Cardenas (D-Phx), a
former AZARNG enlisted member. The bill, if approved, would provide tuition waivers for AZNG personnel. As you may know, the previous AZNG Postsecondary Tuition Reimbursement Program has not been
funded by the State of Arizona since July 2009.
Rep Cardenas said his bill would waive tuition fees for up to 16 credits per semester for Arizona National
Guard members earning a bachelor's or master's degree at community colleges or state universities. Under
the proposal, Guard members would be eligible if they are not eligible for full Voc Rehab or the Post 9-11
GI Bill, and they would be able to attend only those classes with open seats after registration has closed. "If
the seat's open, the National Guard can work with the community college or state school to fill that seat,"
Cardenas said.
After passing through several House committees, HB2240 was heard by the Committee of the Whole and
went to a vote in the House. We are pleased to report that it was unanimously passed by the House on
March 3rd and will now move to the Senate. Legislative analysts said community colleges wouldn't lose
tuition revenue because they already receive $2,400 in federal aid to cover average tuition costs for National
Guard members. However, some analysts believe that the bill could cost universities between $400,000 and
$2 million in forgone tuition; this, of course, would depend on how many AZNG personnel meet the criteria
and take advantage of the benefit.
An article in the AZ Republic stated that the Enlisted Association National Guard of Arizona supported the
bill as an incentive to enlist new soldiers and to help current soldiers and veterans obtain jobs and quoted
CMSgt-Ret Dean Miller, the EANGA Legislative Chair as saying, Passing House Bill 2240 is one of many
ways to give back to our Arizona National Guard soldiers and airmen." We still have a ways to go the
win in the House was just the first step, and we will be calling on our membership again to send emails and
call your AZ Senators as the bill progresses over the next several weeks. Only with a passing vote from the
Senate can it go to the Governor for approval and signature. Please support our efforts when we contact you
again.we need your help! This is the first step in replacing the educational benefits we lost in 2009.

~ EANGA Supports Cemetery Construction in Marana, AZ ~

Former Pima County Supervisor Paul Marsh has been working hard for many years to get a new Veterans cemetery
built in the Tucson metropolitan area. With the assistance of the Enlisted Association National Guard of Arizona
and a handful of Veterans organizations, Mr. Marshs goal was achieved. On November 8, 2014 a formal ceremony
was held in Marana to signify groundbreaking for a new Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemetery. In attendance were
Arizona Air National Guard Commander Brig Gen Ted Maxwell and many Arizona National Guard retirees.
Numerous dignitaries were present, including Marana City Councilman Herb Kai. Thanks to Councilman Kai and
the Kai family, land was attained due to the Kais generous donation of the acreage needed to complete this project
which is scheduled to be completed in
early 2016.
When construction is completed, this will
be the third Veterans cemetery in Arizona. The two current locations are the
National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona
in Phoenix and the Southern Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Sierra Vista.
A new Veterans cemetery is also under
construction at Camp Navajo in Northern
Arizona.

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~ 2015 EANGA State Conference ~

The Annual State Conference of the Enlisted Association NG of Arizona will be held on Saturday, March 21st, from
9am-3pm at the Arizona Grand Resort and Spa, 8000 S. Arizona Grand Parkway, Phoenix. The Business Session will
be conducted in the Ocotillo B Room, with a box lunch served on the Grand Veranda. The State Conference will
include a Town Hall with a number of Guest Speakers scheduled at 1:00pm. Special speakers include The Adjutant
General, Maj Gen Michael McGuire; Congressman Raul Grijalva, AZ 3rd District; Representative Mark Cardenas, AZ
House of Representatives and sponsor of HB 2240, as well as our Senior Enlisted Leaders, CMSgt Shane Clark (SEA),
CSM Patrick Powers (State CSM), and CMSgt Daniel Gutierrez (State CCM).
During the conference Business Session we will also be holding elections for the office of EANGA President, VicePresident Army, Treasurer, Director Air, Director Retiree, and Director at Large. The term of office is two years. If
you are interested in running for one of these positions, please reply to mary.thompson@ang.af.mil and
ejcause@hotmail.com NLT March 16th. You may also contact the Nominations Committee listed above or President
Acosta at bernardo.m.acosta@gmail.com for more information.
If you plan to attend the EANGA State Conference, we request that you RSVP NLT March 18th by email to
madlyn.flores@yahoo.com and bernardo.m.acosta@gmail.com so that we can get an accurate meal count.
On behalf of the AZ Enlisted Association board, we ask for your participation at the EANGA State Conference and we
hope to see you at the 2015 AZNG Outstanding Solder and Airmen of the Year Banquet which will be held that same
evening, at the same location. Registration is now closed for the banquet, but for those who will be attending, the
social hour begins at 6 p.m. with the Banquet from 7 - 10 p.m.
Please pass this on to other AZNG enlisted personnel who are not on our mailing list - all enlisted personnel are welcome at our State Conference - you don't need to be a member to attend, however, we will be offering a discounted
membership rate during the State Conference. You can get an annual membership for just $15 (a savings of $5), or
take advantage of our new, significantly reduced LIFE membership rate of $185.00. We dropped our prices effective
January 2015 so our Life membership is now a flat rate regardless of your age or rank! Sign up now and dont worry
about ever sending in the annual membership fee again!

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Find us on Facebook:
EANGA and EANGUS

NOTE: EANGA is proud to announce

that GRAND CANYON UNIVERSITY
will pay for your membership in
EANGUS.just contact them at the
special phone number or website
listed to the right and check out their
degree programs! They will let us
know you contacted them and we
will provide your free EANGUS
membership in about 30 days.

~ Legislative Workshop ~
Three members of the Arizona Enlisted Association attended the 2015 EANGUS Legislative Workshop from 31 Jan 3 Feb
2015, in Washington, DC. The workshop was one of the largest in years, with 125 attendees from across the US. Attending
from AZ was EANGA President MSG Bernardo Acosta, EANGUS Secretary CSM-Ret Karen Craig, and EANGA member SGM-Ret
Brad Morse. The workshop included training on how to advocate with your elected officials, panel discussions with the
National Guards Senior Enlisted Leaders and the NGB Legislative Liaison team, a Legislative Reception and award ceremony, a
walking tour of Capitol Hill, and visits with AZ Congressional Representatives. President Acosta set up appointments with 1
Senator, and 8 Representatives or their staff. Key talking points during the visits included Veteran Status for Title 32 Guardsmen, funding for Youth Challenge, the Reduction in Full Time Force, and the Aviation Restructuring initiative and its impact on
the Apache Battalion in Marana. We were also present when the G.V. Sonny Montgomery Eagle Award was given to Congressman (CSM-Ret) Tim Walz (MN). In his remarks, he stressed the importance of fighting for benefits for our NG Soldiers
and Airmen so that we can continue to recruit and retain them. He added that its important that Congress understand how
the military works so that they get it. He reiterated that Congress needs to keep their promise to take care of our Soldiers
and Airmen (Tri-Care, Healthcare, Retirement), and its up to professional associations like EANGUS to remind them of this.
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~Scholarship Opportunities~
Its Scholarship season again! The AZ Enlisted Association is pleased to announce the following
opportunities for our EANGUS members and their spouse or eligible dependents. Please note
that there are several different scholarship deadlines and application processes. Check
them out and ensure you apply before the deadline!
Applications for the following three scholarships must be submitted by mail to the Arizona Enlisted Association, NLT April 20, 2015. Application forms can be found at www.eanga.org or contact EANGA President, Ben
Acosta at president@eanga.org and he will email them to you.

The Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States offers the CSM Virgil R. Williams Memorial Scholarship which will award at least four - $2,000 scholarships in 2015. This is the National Scholarship Program and winners
will be announced during the EANGUS Conference being held in Indianapolis, IN on 9-13 August 2015.

The Enlisted Association National Guard of Arizona will offer one - $1,000 scholarship this year. This award titled the
CMSGT Gerald R. Guild Memorial Scholarship will be presented by the AZ Enlisted Association at an appropriate ceremony after 1 May 2015.

Additionally, through our local association, USAA is offering one - $1,000 scholarship this year. This scholarship titled
the Harry & Mary Hensell Scholarship is funded by USAA and will be presented during an appropriate ceremony after 1
May 2015.

The following scholarships are offered to EANGUS members and applications must be completed on-line at the special website for each college, as shown below:

University of Phoenix: Three (3) full-tuition

scholarships will be offered. Each scholarship
will allow a prospective student the opportunity to complete an undergraduate or masters
degree program. Apply NLT March 17, 2015
at http://www.phoenix.edu/
tuition_and_financial_options/scholarships/
institutional-scholarships/prospectivestudents/eangus-scholarship.html

Grand Canyon University: The EANGUS/

Auxiliary American Hero's Award covers your
entire tuition on a course by course basis.
Two scholarship winners will be officially announced at the EANGUS National Conference
to be held August 9-13 in Indianapolis. Recipients will be selected and notified by June 30,
2015. Apply NLT 1 June 2015 at http://
www.gcu.edu/American-HerosScholarship.php

Grantham University: Will award a full Undergraduate or Graduate Scholarship valued at

approx. $38,600, which covers tuition costs,
required textbooks, software and fees. Apply
NLT July 7, 2015 at: http://
www.grantham.edu/scholarships/eangusscholarship/

Membership in EANGUS/EANGA is required in

order to apply for all the scholarships above. If
youre not a current paid member, go to
www.eangus.org, use the JOIN button, and follow
the prompts to become an EANGUS member in
AZ for just $20, or contact us at membership@eanga.org .

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~The 43rd Annual Conference - Phoenix, AZ~

by Maj. Gabe Johnson, Arizona National Guard Public Affairs
8/13/2014 - PHOENIX -- More than 1,000 National Guard members from around the country assembled at the
Phoenix Convention Center here Aug. 10-13 for the 43rd Annual National Conference and Expo of the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States, or EANGUS.
The association represents the interests of enlisted National Guard members to the Pentagon and Congress by advocating for legislation to increase or preserve manpower, pay, benefits, entitlements, equipment and facilities. The
national conference, hosted in a different state each year, brought delegates to Arizona from all 50 states as well as
Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia to set a course for the next year and beyond.
Conference organizers said the event theme, "We've got your back," affirms the association's role to enhance
National Guard capability and improve quality of life for its 414,000 constituents.
"The national conference brings together our membership to hear about what is going on at the national level," said
retired Command Sgt. Maj. Karen Craig, a member of the 2014 conference planning committee. "We also receive
resolutions from the states and we vote on them to set legislative priorities for the year ahead - what we are going to
bring to Congress on behalf of our members." Craig said EANGUS' most critical initiatives are
focused on maintaining the National Guard as a cost-effective operational force in light of
current defense budget challenges. The association also wants Congress to pass legislation
that exempts dual-status military technicians - the bulk of the Guard's full-time work force from future furloughs should the federal government face a shutdown as it did in 2013. Additionally, EANGUS is working to close other gaps between Guard and active duty service.
Members believe Guardsmen who serve 20 years or more should be granted veteran status
in the eyes of the government, regardless of their accrued active duty time; and they should
be given hiring preference points when applying for federal civil service jobs.
"The Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States is a great association for
Guardsmen," said Chief Master Sgt. James Hotaling, the command chief master sergeant of
the Air National Guard. "It represents the two important things in their name - the enlisted,
and the National Guard. If you were to join one professional organization as a Title 32 enlisted member, this would be the organization you would more than likely align yourself with
because it represents your interests on the hill."
In recent years, the enlisted association successfully advocated for better access to
healthcare, retirement, and education benefits, as well as unlimited commissary and Base
Exchange privileges for Guard members. Most notably, EANGUS was one of several military
associations that worked to establish the chief of the National Guard Bureau as a lawful
member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff - ensuring an equal voice for the National Guard among
the other service branches.
Apart from legislative matters, the national conference is a platform for senior National
Guard leaders to speak candidly with enlisted members. "We brought in Soldiers and Airmen
from around the 54 [states and territories] to participate in professional development opportunities, and we made sure that this serves as a bridge to the professional education courses
they take either in residence or by correspondence," said Hotaling. "We feel it's a great added value, and we appreciate everyone who attends."
In addition to Hotaling, the list of conference guest speakers included Arizona Governor Jan
Brewer; Gen. Frank Grass, chief of the National Guard Bureau, Lt. Gen. Stanley Clarke, director of the Air National Guard; Chief Master Sgt. Mitchell Brush, senior enlisted advisor to the
chief of the National Guard Bureau; and Command Sgt. Maj. Brunk Conley, command sergeant major of the Army National Guard. "Arizona is very proud to host the EANGUS national
conference and the Arizona host committee has done a fantastic job to ensure its success,"
said Craig. "We expected about 800 participants and more than 1,000 made the trip. We
have members here who are signing up right now for the next national conference." The
44th Annual EANGUS Conference/Expo is scheduled for Aug. 9-13, 2015, in Indianapolis.
Opening ceremonies included a ribbon cutting by the EANGUS and Auxiliary Presidents, remarks by The Adjutant General,
Maj Gen Michael McGuire and Senior Enlisted Advisor, CMSgt Shane Clark, welcome by Arizona Governor Janice K. Brewer,
and a traditional Navajo Blessing given by MSG Freddie Hatathalie, Maneuver Training Center, Camp Navajo

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~Making the Connection with EANGUS~

The 43rd Annual EANGUS Conference was the

place to be to make connections. Whether you
wanted to just listen to a variety of speakers, or
connect one-on-one with some of the National
Guards most senior leaders, the 2014 national
conference provided a great place to network.
Junior enlisted Soldiers and Airmen had a particularly unique opportunity to speak to our leaders
during several question and answer sessions and
General Frank Grass, Chief NGB, personally
shook the hand of each and every junior enlisted
in attendance after his briefing.
In addition to those formal presentations,
attendees at the conference were able to check
out a variety of products and services at the
conference Expo. Attendees were also able to
help the local community during a blood drive
and bone marrow donation program conducted
Sunday through Tuesday. Additionally,
attendees as well as local Veterans, military
members, and their families were able to attend
the City of Phoenix Job Fair hosted by EANGA on

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Tuesday, August 12th. The Job Fair included

classes on resume writing and interviewing, and
over 59 employers and 150 job seekers were in
attendance.
Many other connections were made and friendships fostered during the variety of hospitality
events hosted during the conference. Attendees
enjoyed the many sporting events and restaurants in the downtown Phoenix area, and a good
time was had by all at the Area-vs-Area Bowling
Tournament at the Lucky Strike Bowl during our
Welcome Night Event. Others enjoyed the Junior Enlisted Night at the Hard Rock Caf where
SRA Adams and his team collected over $1000
for the EANGUS We Care for America Fund that
provides grants to Soldiers and Airmen in need.
And who can forget the All Area Hospitality Night
event at Papago Park Military Reservation which
included a small microburst before the party
started! Regardless of why you attended, we
hope you left with great memories and many
connections that will last a lifetime!

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~All States Banquet~

The 2014 EANGUS National Conference came

to a close on Wednesday night, August 13th
with the traditional All States Banquet.
Attended by almost 1,000 personnel, the banquet began with the National Anthem sung by
our own Senior Enlisted Advisor, CMSgt Shane
Clark, followed by the ceremonial Parade of
State Flags.
The event was supported by many Arizona
National Guard members to include the emcees, MSG Rock Rakosi and SMSgt Cookie Gonzales, as well as a Joint Army/Air Color Guard
who posted the colors and presented the
POW/MIA Table. Throughout the evening, the
108th Army Band played a number of songs
for everyones entertainment to include a
beautiful rendition of I am the Guard.
One of the most memorable events of the

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evening was when 1SG-Ret Richard Pinter, who

is known as the Lone Bugler told the story of
the historical origins of Taps and then played
Taps for the hushed crowd. Unfortunately, we
were all saddened to hear that Phoenix was
the last EANGUS National Conference he
would play for as 1SG Pinter, a retired Pennsylvania ARNG member, passed away on February 6, 2015.
After EANGUS presented awards to many deserving members, the drawing for the custom
motorcycle built by Orange County Choppers
was also held. Our partners at Southwest
Truck Driver Training assisted in the drawing
and the winner was from Nevada. Congratulations to the winner and thanks to all those who
attended or participated in the 2014 EANGUS
National Conference!

Hats off to our 2014 National Conference Committee!

Conference Chair: MSgt EJ Causbie; Conference Co-Chair: CSM-Ret Sean Sojourner; Administration: SFC Candice Gehring & SSG
-Ret Mary Gonzales; Auxiliary: Mary Hensell & CSM-Ret Karen Craig; Facilities: CMSgt-Ret Dean Miller; Finance: SMSgt-Ret Marta
Dominguez; Flight Operations: SMSgt Kris Pelfrey; Transportation: CSM-Ret Pamela Anderson & CSM-Ret David Austin; Honor
Guard & Band: 1SG Theresa Kerbey & MSgt Gary Jack; IT/Commo: SGM-Ret Brad Morse & MSgt Michael Coleman; Exhibitor &
Job Fair: CMSgt-Ret Dean Miller; Medical Operations: CMSgt Rick DeSylvester; Operations: CSM-Ret Sean Sojourner & SGM
James Denton; Protocol: MSgt Jaime Acevedo & MSgt Darllene Boydston; Registration: MSgt Mary Thompson & Nicole Craig; Security/Safety: MSG Max Hamlin; Welcome Night Event: MSgt Richard Benner; Junior Enlisted Night Event: SRA Bryan Adams; AllArea Hospitality Night Event: MSG Bernardo Acosta; All States Banquet Event: CSM April Schneider &
MSgt Gary Jack. We also wish to extend a special thank you to MSG Freddie Hathalie for the Traditional
Navajo Blessing he gave during the opening ceremonies, and CSM-Ret Connie Brannock and the Little
House of Funk for the entertainment they provided at the Hyatt Hospitality Patio. THANK YOU ALL!!

Behind the
scenes with the
Arizona team..

Get your EANGUS 2014 Conference Poster or Pin Set!

Although the conference is over, its not too late to get your historical EANGUS
43rd Annual Conference & Expo poster or our special collectors pin set.
AZ Posters and Pin Sets are $10 each.
Contact us at President@eanga.org if you want one, or see us
at the EANGA State Conference for a special rate.
We will also have the new Modern Minuteman T-shirts
on sale at the State Conference for just $25.00 each.