WEBVTT 00:00.201 --> 00:03.701 (lively electronic waves) 00:06.580 --> 00:08.710 - Good afternoon badgers, your Adjutant General 00:08.710 --> 00:12.030 coming at you with a TAG message for the month of May. 00:12.030 --> 00:14.000 I'm coming to you right now from the Green Bay 00:14.000 --> 00:19.000 Radisson, we're up here for the weekend of April 27/28. 00:19.670 --> 00:23.450 This is the state association conference, WINGA and WINGEA 00:23.450 --> 00:25.690 we're having a joint conference. 00:25.690 --> 00:28.210 And I'm just touching base to tell you about 00:28.210 --> 00:31.340 these associations, I want you to know that I'm 00:31.340 --> 00:34.320 a believer in associations, and what they can do for us. 00:34.320 --> 00:36.780 I'm a member of several associations, I belong 00:36.780 --> 00:41.223 MOA, I belong to AUSA, I belong to AFA and 00:42.180 --> 00:44.360 of course I belong to WINGA/WINGEA. 00:44.360 --> 00:47.170 And I also belong to NGAUS. 00:47.170 --> 00:49.660 And the reason I believe in these associations is 00:49.660 --> 00:52.700 because what we do in the military is very 00:52.700 --> 00:54.170 important to out country. 00:54.170 --> 00:57.000 And part of what we do in the military 00:57.000 --> 01:00.270 is to make sure that we can meet our requirements 01:00.270 --> 01:02.380 for the Army and the Air Force. 01:02.380 --> 01:03.930 And one of the ways that that message gets 01:03.930 --> 01:06.850 communicated is by professional associations. 01:06.850 --> 01:09.970 Now, we in the National Guard, we're not professional 01:09.970 --> 01:13.430 in the sense that, we're full time army soldiers 01:13.430 --> 01:15.640 or full time airmen in the Air Force. 01:15.640 --> 01:17.350 But we are professional. 01:17.350 --> 01:20.540 We live up to the Army and the Air Force standard, 01:20.540 --> 01:24.330 and most of us are working downtown or going to school, 01:24.330 --> 01:26.160 and we put this uniform on on the weekend and when 01:26.160 --> 01:28.080 our country needs us to, we mobilize. 01:28.080 --> 01:32.090 And that's a really unique aspect in National Defense. 01:32.090 --> 01:35.730 And so it makes sense to me, that as a professional, 01:35.730 --> 01:40.173 I rely on an association to represent me, 01:41.010 --> 01:43.870 and what we do in the National Guard to Congress. 01:43.870 --> 01:46.050 Because I don't go to Congress in lobby, 01:46.050 --> 01:48.190 but we have professional organizations that go 01:48.190 --> 01:50.800 and inform Congress on the things we need to 01:50.800 --> 01:52.630 accomplish our mission. 01:52.630 --> 01:54.990 So, there's no requirement to be a member, 01:54.990 --> 01:57.160 I'm simply sharing with you from this meeting 01:57.160 --> 02:00.120 that I believe in the associations and what they can do 02:00.120 --> 02:02.990 for professional organization like the National Guard. 02:02.990 --> 02:05.740 I know you might be thinking, "well what has an organization 02:05.740 --> 02:08.550 like NAGAUS or WINGA or WINGEA done for me?" 02:08.550 --> 02:11.950 And let me share with you, last year there was 02:11.950 --> 02:15.950 over 421 millions dollars in Ingria funds for 02:15.950 --> 02:18.890 the Army guard and the air guard separately. 02:18.890 --> 02:23.320 There was a new Apache, a new C1-30s procured. 02:23.320 --> 02:25.620 This year we have priorities listed, 02:25.620 --> 02:27.790 or NAGAS has priorities listed. 02:27.790 --> 02:30.310 That include concurrent proportional fielding 02:30.310 --> 02:32.210 to make sure that as the Army and the Air Force 02:32.210 --> 02:34.790 modernize, that the National Guard gets modernized 02:34.790 --> 02:35.800 right along with them. 02:35.800 --> 02:38.930 These are messages that professional organizations 02:38.930 --> 02:43.930 like ours rely on, associations to take that message forward 02:44.160 --> 02:46.840 because they understand who we are. 02:46.840 --> 02:49.340 And they understand the difficulty of serving in the guard 02:49.340 --> 02:51.390 and therefore can represent us very well. 02:51.390 --> 02:53.950 So again, no pressure to join, I'm not asking 02:53.950 --> 02:55.870 you to join, I'm simply sharing with you 02:55.870 --> 02:58.730 why I think they add value to what we do 02:58.730 --> 03:01.570 and why I have chosen to be a member. 03:01.570 --> 03:04.490 I believe in these associations and what they do for us. 03:04.490 --> 03:06.390 Thank you for all that you do as a member of the 03:06.390 --> 03:08.410 National Guard, thank you for your service. 03:08.410 --> 03:11.980 It is an absolute privilege and honor to serve with you. 03:11.980 --> 03:13.903 Have a great weekend, TAG out.