az desert chronicle - fall 2013

7/27/2019 AZ Desert Chronicle - Fall 2013

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Conference which will be held in

downtown Phoenix. This edition of

our newsletter contains some infor-

mation about the conference and well

be reaching out to you throughout

the year to provide additional info as

we draw even closer to the big event.

I hope you will join us and partici-

pate.we have a great core team but

your association needs your support

and involvement to make these events

successful. Please join us to make this

upcoming year a memorable and

successful one.

Finally, is your EANGUS membership

current or do you know unit mem-

bers who are not members? Being a

member and making your opinioncount is more important than ever.

See info on page 4 about a special

discounted membership rate were

offering thru the end of the year.

Thanks for your support!

1SG Ben Acosta

As I write this message, were going

through some uncertain times with the

ongoing government shutdown and

looming deadline for the debt ceiling.

Im hopeful that it will come to an end

soon. Through it all, the Enlisted

Association has been keeping a close

eye on events as they unfold and have

been involved in the initiation of bills

to address some of the unintended

consequences of the shutdown. We

have you and your family in mind as

we support bills to stop the furloughs

and retain our benefits. Please see

more information on this subject in

our Legislative Update on page 3.

Most importantly, let's make sure we

are all keeping an eye on our Battle

Buddies and Wingmen. Financialstress caused by this shutdown can

have a profound effect on our fellow

guard members. In some cases, drill

checks are the only stable income

many members have and for the mil

techs, that paycheck may be their

familys sole income.

While we continue to monitor those

issues on the national level, your

state association (EANGA) has a lot

of events coming up in our future. I

hope you will join us for our annual

Holiday Party and Membership

Appreciation Night which will be

held on Thursday evening, December

5th at the 161st ARW Dining Facility,

Sky Harbor ANG Base. Additionally,

we will be working very closely with

our Senior Enlisted Leaders as we

host the Arizona Army & Air Nation-

al Guard Awards Banquet on March

22, 2014, at the Arizona Grand

Resort. For the first time, this will

be a joint celebration recognizing the

most outstanding AZNG Soldiers

and Airmen of the Year. The springwill also bring plans for our annual

State Conference...stay tuned for

more info! And finally, the biggest

event on our calendar is coming up

on August 10-14, 2014. We are

already in full gear as we get ready to

host the 2014 EANGUS National

Twenty-one Arizona enlisted mem-bers, spouses and significant othersattended the 2103 national confer-ence held in Sioux Falls, SouthDakota from August 18-21, 2013.The South Dakota Association did agreat job from start to finish. Theykicked off the opening ceremonywith the posting of a US Flag that hadbeen flown over Mount Rushmoreand then run in a relay across thestate by SD Soldiers and Airmen,ending at the Veterans MemorialPark just in time for the ceremony.Conference attendees thoroughlyenjoyed the Welcome Night event at

Falls Park as well as the All Area

Hospitality event at the J&L HarleyDavidson.

Despite the cancellation of the Pro-fessional Development authorizationshortly before the conference, therewere over 900 attendees includingEANGUS representatives from everyState in the nation with the excep-tion of Guam, Virgin Islands, andPuerto Rico.

EANGUS was honored to have Gen-eral Frank Grass, Chief NGB as oneof the featured speakers. GeneralGrass presented a video titled...

(story continued on page 2)

Message from EANGA President

1SG Bernardo AcostaI N S I D ET H I S I S S U E :

EANGUS

Conference

Report

1-

2

The big

reveal . 2

Legislative

Update3

Seeking

volunteers3

Member

Spotlight -CSM Higgins

3

Membership

Special4

Custom OCC

Motorcycle5

2013 EANGUS NATIONAL CONFERENCE

E N L I S T E DA S S O C I A T I O N

N A T I O N A L G U A R DO F A R I Z O N A

The Desert

ChronicleF A L L 2 0 1 3

V O L U M E 4

I S S U E 3

Arizona aendees at the 2013 All States Banquet


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P A G E 2

Photos above: Congressman Tim

Walz (MN) speaks to EANGUSattendees. During the Area VICaucus, CSM-R Karen Craigpresented a certificate ofappreciation to CMSgt-R DeanMiller for his service as AirDirector for Area VI.

Photos to the right: CSM-RHarry Hensell finds his nameon the Scroll of EANGUSPioneers and Founders. StateCSM Higgins and AZ attendeesgather around the customOCC motorcycle and the #88NASCAR display. 2014Conference Chair, EJ Causbieand the SWTDT team arepictured with the custommotorcycle to be raffled off duringthe 2014 EANGUS NationalConference. Roll Call.the big reveal !

2013 EANGUS National Conference (continued from page 1)Voices of the Guard and hediscussed the value and need forthe National Guard to remain anoperational force, noting thatover 19,000 National Guardsmenare currently deployed world-wide. Other guest speakers

included Congressman Tim Walz(MN); LTG Stanley Clarke,Director of the Air NG; LTGWilliam Ingram, Director of theArmy NG; and MG StephenDanner, President of NGAUS.

The EANGUS Junior EnlistedCommittee also hosted a SeniorEnlisted Panel which allowedjunior enlisted personnel andother attendees to ask questionsof the Senior Enlisted Advisor(SEA) for the Office of the Secre-tary of Defense for Reserve

Affairs, CSM Mike Schultz; SEAto the Dir/ANG, CMSgt JamesHotaling; and SEA to the Dir/ARNG, CSM Brunk Conley.

With the 2014 conference comingup in Phoenix, the AZ Associationperformed a right-seat-ride withthe South Dakota Association. Ledby our conference chair, MSgt EJCausbie and Co-Chair/OperationsChair, CSM Sean Sojourner, we

learned a lot about the behind-the-scenes requirements for hosting anational conference. Our hard-working AZ Pre-RegistrationTeam, consisting of TSgt MaryThompson, Nicole Craig, SMSgtMartha Dominquez, SSG MaryGonzales, and SGT Bruiguir Begay,pre-registered approximately 400attendees for the 2014 conference.Other Arizonans manned our fund-raising booth where we soldshirts, hats, computer bags, andraffle tickets for the custom OCCmotorcycle. We were also very

happy to have State CSM PamelaHiggins on site and participating inthe many committee meetings andbusiness sessions.

We are also proud to report thatArizona continues to be active atthe national level. In addition tobeing our 2014 Conference Chair,MSgt Causbie serves as theEANGUS Resolutions Chair. Thisis one of the most important and

busiest EANGUS committees sincemost legislative activity startsthere. CMSgt Dean Miller servesas the Rules & Credentials Com-mittee Chair, and just steppeddown as an Area VI Director aftera 2year tour. CSM-R Karen Craigserves as the Area VI Chair andalso brought home honors fromthe Publications Committee for theDesert Chronicle, which took 1stplace in the non-commercial cate-gory.

All in all, it was a successful confer-

ence and with your help, werehoping we can achieve the samesuccess in 2014 when we bring theEANGUS Conference to Phoenix!

Paul Senior of the famed Orange County Choppe

Driven onto the conference floor by Sean William

President of Southwest Truck Driver Training (a

corporate partner and sponsor), this awesome bi

will be going home with someone next year when

we pull the winning raffle ticket. We wish to exte

our sincere thanks to the SWTDT team (pictured

above) who drove all the way to New York with

Chair Causbie to pick up the bike and bring it to

Sioux Falls and then home to AZ. They continue

be great supporters of the Enlisted Association!

the last page of this newsletter for all the specs o

this OCC custom motorcycle, and info about tick

As tradition dictates, each State attending the EANGUS

National Conference gets 60 seconds during the Roll Call of

the States to show their state pride and announce that they

are present.except when you are a future host of the

conference. This year in Sioux Falls, EANGA had 15

minutes to show our ARIZONA pride, and welcome and

encourage EANGUS members to come to Phoenix in 2014.

Our presentation, given by Conference Chair EJ Causbie,

included memories of the last time AZ hosted the confer-

ence in 1979, talk of cowboys, red-rock buttes, cactus, the

Hyatt Regency and downtown Phoenix, as well as our morethan 300 days of sunshine.to which we all explained, Its

a dry heat! After showing a short Arizona video, Chair

Causbie encouraged attendees to stay longer and enticed

them with thoughts of cool mountain air in the high country,

the Grand Canyon, Old Tucson, Karchner Caverns and

Tombstone, as well as golf, casinos, and D-Backs games.

Just as everyone thought he was wrapping up the presenta-

tion, more AZ team members ran out in red shirts waving

our AZ flags, with music blaring and the engine revving up,

revealing for the first time, the custom motorcycle built by

T H E D E S E R T C H R O N I C L E

2014 Conference Slogan: Weve Got Your Back...in Arizona!


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Legislative Update - the shutdown continues... P A G E 3V O L U M E 4I S S U E 3EANGUS, your voice on Capitol Hill, is continuing

to monitor the government shutdown. For those

who have been watching the news, you know this

situation is still very much in flux. Last week

EANGUS sent all members a list of resources that

can be used to help navigate this shutdown. We

encourage all members of EANGUS to review that

list and use the resources that are available.

As many of you may know, prior to the shutdown

Congress passed, and the President signed, H.R.

3210 the Pay Our Military Act which was de-

signed to pay the military and Department of

Defense personnel throughout 2014 when other

appropriated funds may not be in effect, such as

during a government shutdown.

It was Congress intent that the Pay Our Military

Act would allow all DoD civilians, contractors, and

military personnel to remain at work and receive a

paycheck on time. However, DoD decided to

interpret that law narrowly and furloughed hundreds

of thousands of defense department employees.

Subsequently, DoD issued new guidance and

EANGUS is pleased that most of those furloughed

DoD employees have returned to work.

As you know, the Department of Defense is still

canceling inactive-duty training (IDT) and we still

have some of our Military Technician brothers and

sisters furloughed. That is why last week EANGUS

worked with Members of Congress to support H.R.

3241, the Pay Our Guardsmen and Civilian Defense

Personnel Act. This bill would amend the Pay Our

Military Act and ensure that there is funding for

inactive reservists and IDT as well as removing the

Secretary of Defenses determination as to what

civilians he deems are providing support to mem-

bers of the Armed Forces thereby clarifying that

the law intended to fund all defense civilians and dual

status military technicians.

EANGUS also worked with the Senate Committee

on Veterans Affairs to introduce S. 1564, the Pro-

tecting Those Who Protected Us Act of 2013.

That legislation will protect mandatory compensa-

tion and pension benefits for Veterans and their

families. This legislation would also allow Veterans

to continue to use their post-9/11 GI Bill and otherVA education program benefits. Members can read

EANGUS letters of support for both of these bills

on the EANGUS Facebook page.

Unfortunately, the United States Senate has yet to

act on either H.R. 3241 or S. 1564. We are contin-

uing to urge our members to call their Members of

Congress to encourage them to pass H.R. 3241

and S. 1564 as well as to express your thoughts on

the government shutdown and how it is affecting

you a member of the National Guard. Please go to

www.eangus.org for more info on how to contact

your members of Congress on these vital issues.

Her previous military assignments includeBrigade CSM for the 158th ManeuverEnhancement Brigade; Battalion CSM for

the 158

th

CSSB (which includes a deploy-ment to Afghanistan from Oct 2009 to Oct2010); G-1 Sergeant Major; J-1 NCOIC forOperation Jump Start-Task Force ArizonaBorder Mission; Battalion CSM for the 158 thQM Supply & Services Battalion; FirstSergeant for Det 7, HQ State Area MedicalCommand; and the Finance Senior Opera-tions Sergeant, 158th Finance Battalion.She also held the collateral duty of theJFHQ Sexual Assault Response Coordina-tor Program Manager for four years.

CSM Higgins has received numerousmilitary awards to include the Bronze Star.She is a 2003 graduate (Class 28) of theUSA Sergeants Major Academy, and has a

e AZ Enlisted Association is proud tootlight the newest Enlisted member of thezona Command Team Command

rgeant Major Pamela Higgins. She wasected as the 8th Command Sergeant Majorthe Arizona Army NG in May 2013.

SM Higgins was born in Bismarck, ND andaduated from Harlowton High School inontana. She joined the MT Army Nationaluard in January 1978 during her senior yearhigh school and became a 73C, Financeecialist. As a civilian technician, she workedtime for the MT National Guard, as well as

e NY National Guard before her interstatensfer to AZ. She held various jobs of in-

easing responsibility as a civilian technicianinclude her last position as the AZ Statemily Programs Director.

BS Degree in Business Manage-ment from the University of Phoe-nix. She resides in Gilbert, AZ withher husband Calvin; they have fourgrown children and four grandchil-dren.

Regarding the Enlisted Associa-tion, CSM Higgins said, "I attendedthe EANGUS National Conferencein Sioux Falls, SD this year andwas simply amazed at the process.Every member of the Army and AirNational Guard should be thankfulthat this professional organization is working very hard to represent theenlisted men, women, their families and retirees by making their voiceheard on Capitol Hill. EANGUS fights hard for you on issues that mayaffect pay, benefits or retirement. Since Arizona is hosting the 2014National Conference here in Phoenix, it would be great to see a strongrepresentation from the enlisted force of Arizona!"

Flight Operations, Ground Trans-

portation, Fund-Raising, Band/

Honor Guard, Communications &

AV, Medical, Operations, Protocol

& VIP, Public Affairs, Registration,

Security, and Special Events. If you

have any of these special skills or

are willing to help, let us know.

Volunteering to work the confer-

ence on August 10-14, 2014 will

also allow you free access to most

of the conference events and will

give you a birds-eye view of how

your association works for you.

Additionally, we are looking for indi-

viduals who have connections with

corporations or businesses to assist

us in securing sponsorships or getting

goods or services donated for the

conference. We are also open to

additional fund-raising ideas. We

have a plan, but were always open to

your ideas.

Want to volunteer? Have some ideas

or questions? Contact our 2014

Conference Chair, MSgt EJ Causbie

or Co-Chair, CSM Sean Sojourner at

[email protected]

As you know, the 2014 EANGUS

National Conference will be held in

Phoenix. To put on a great confer-

ence for our attendees, we have

formed a number of committees

and EANGA is currently locking in

the Committee Chairs and Co-

Chairs based on the volunteers

weve gotten so far.

However, if you are interested in

volunteering, its not too late...we

still need volunteers, and hope you

will join us! Committees being

formed include: Admin, Facilities,

Join our Team.Were looking for volunteers!

Member Spotlight - CSM Pamela Higgins


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Additionally, if you want a chance to

win a trip to Vancouver, WA, or $500

in cash, see the flyer to the right and

contact me for more information about

the Rocky Mountain Minuteman Re-

cruiting Competition. The one person

in Area VI that recruits the most new

(or renewed) members for EANGUS

will win!

Is your membership going to expire

soon? Has it already lapsed, or do you

know of other AZNG enlisted per-

sonnel who are not members of

EANGUS? As President Acosta

mentioned on page 1, once again, the

US is at a crossroads and your

livelihood and benefits for military

personnel and our Veterans are in

jeopardy. We encourage you to

renew your membership or join the

one professional military organization

that works for you - EANGUS. Tosupport you and make it easier to

become a member, the AZ Enlisted

Association has reduced the annual

membership rate to just $15 from

now thru Dec 15th a savings of $5.

To take advantage of this opportunity,

you can pay with a credit card at

www.eangus.org or contact us at

[email protected]. We will

send you an application that you can

mail in with your payment.

5636 E. McDowell Road

Phoenix, AZ 85008-3495

President: 1SG Bernardo [email protected] [email protected]

Vice-President Army: CSM Sean [email protected]

Vice-President Air: MSgt Earl [email protected]

Vice-President Junior Enlisted: TSgt Mary [email protected]

The Enlisted Associaon Naonal Guard of the United States

(EANGUS) and the Enlisted Associaon Naonal Guard of Arizona

(EANGA), exist to promote the status, welfare, and profession-

alism of the enlisted members of the Naonal Guard and to

promote adequate Naonal Security. The Associaon lobbies

to provide adequate full-me stang, adequate pay and

allowances, adequate health, medical, family and death

entlements, incenve benets, rst line equipment, resources,

and weapons systems, and military construcon.

Enlisted Association National

Guard of Arizona

End of Year Discount Membership Special - Join or Renew before Dec 15th - Pay $15

Legislative First. Membership Always!

Were on the web!

www.eangus.org

Were on FaceBook! .Find informaon about

EANGUS legislave acons, our acvies, and

other news Be a friend of EANGUS, as well

as EANGUS AREA VI, and EANGA.

SA V E T HE DA T E :

MEMBERSHIP ACCOUNT UPDATES:

Is your membership account up-to

-

date? Are you receiving the New

Patriot Magazine at your home

address? Do you get the Minute-

man Update emails? If not, log-on

to www.eangus.org to update your

record, or contact me!

Karen Craig, CSM-R

EANGA Membership Chair

[email protected]

EANGA Execuve Board meengs are held

on the rst Thursday of each month at 1700

hrs; locaon alternates between Phoenix and

Tucson with dial-in capability. Contact us!

December 5, 2013, 1700hrs: Annual Holiday

Party and Membership Appreciaon Night,

Phoenix Sky Harbor Dining Facility

January 17-19, 2014: EANGUS Area VI and

VII Mid-Winter Conference, Vancouver, WA

February 22, 2014: ARNG Reree Apprecia-

on Day, PPMR (rescheduled from Oct 26th)

AZNG Outstanding Soldier & Airman Awards

Banquet: March 22, 2014, Arizona Grand

Resort, Phoenix


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az desert chronicle - fall 2013

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