From the President

NGAT MEMBERS,

YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED THE NEW NGAT WEBSITE IS LIVE AND

IT LOOKS FABULOUS. If you have not visited it recently, you should. As it continues to evolve into a useful communication tool for our members, we hope you will take full advantage of these additional features as they roll out. We are adding a way for you to reach out directly to your MACOM representative, via email. No need to hunt or call the main office, just go to the website and look under the Board of Directors. In future iterations, we will have information about our committees, as well as a way to engage with them, as well. We value your input into this association, and want to make it as easy as possible to have your voice heard.

Speaking of committees, during our next board of directors meeting, we will be revisiting our committees and their makeup. If you want to have a seat at the table for NGAT planning, this is the place to do it. If you are interested in participating on a committee, now would be a fabulous time to speak up and volunteer.

At the time of submission, there are a couple issues on the federal legislative front. I encourage you to visit and bookmark our Legislative Action Center (https://ngat.org/legislative) in order to stay current. There is an opportunity to write your representative from that page. One of these efforts involves asking your congressional representative to support a DoD Reprogramming Action in order to reimburse the National Guard for the Capitol Response mission. Failure to do so endangers our drilling Guardsmen and women from participating in their IDTs for the remainder of this fiscal year.

Lastly, it is about that time for our national conferences. We are look forward to seeing our members who will be attending the 50th EANGUS conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, 8-11 August or the 143rd NGAUS Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, 27-30 August. While we are talking about conferences, don’t forget to save the date for our own 63rd Annual conference at the Kalahari Resorts and Convention Center in Round Rock, Texas starting March 24, 2022. H

Chris McKeag President, NGAT president@ngat .org

A CEREMONY WAS HELD ON MAY 1, 2021, AT CAMP

MABRY in Austin, Texas for BG Charles M. Schoening to commemorate his more than 30 years of military service in the Texas Army National Guard. BG Schoening has served as the Deputy Commander of the 136th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, Division Engineer for the 36th Infantry Division and has served overseas in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn, among other assignments. BG Schoening most recently served as the Commander of the Texas Army National Guard’s 71st Troop Command and began his career as an Army engineer officer. Pictured above is BG Schoening and his wife Kay following the retirement

CONGRATULATIONS TO COL MARCOS G.

SANTILLAN on his retirement from the Texas Air National Guard after 42 years of faithful service. Col Santillan enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1978 as an Airmen Basic and served as an Avionics Instrument Technician, rising to the rank of Master Sergeant before earning his commission in the Texas Air National Guard as a 2nd Lt in 1994. He concluded his career as the Director of Staff for the Texas Air National Guard. Col Santillan served on the NGAT Board of Directors and was selected to be the NGAT President but had to decline due to his selection as the Texas State/Command Inspector General for the Texas Army and Air National Guard in 2007. Pictured above Maj Gen (Ret) Kenneth W. Wisian, former Assistant Adjutant General-Air drapes the Texas Superior Service Medal on Col Santillan during his retirement ceremony held June 6, 2021, at Camp