NGAT NEWS NUGGETS

NGAT NEWS NUGGETS
10-02
18 Feb 2010
3706 Crawford Ave
Austin, Texas 78731-6308
512-454-7300
GOLFERS
There is still time to
get your golf team
into the NGAT Golf
Tournament. The
tournament will be
held at The Golf Club at Star Ranch in
Hutto, Texas. Please note that transportation will not be available for the
golf tournament.
Other Optional Events
Texas Hold’em Tournament (AM Only)
Fun Run
Retiree Coffee
Enlisted Breakfast/Prayer Breakfast
SATURDAY
DINNER ONLY OPTION NOW
AVAILABLE.
ALL ATTENDEES MUST
PAY THE
REGISTRATION FEE.
Attention Bowlers
If you’re planning to
attend the bowling
tournament please sign
up as soon as possible or we may
have to cancel the bowling tournament due to lack of interest.
Transportation will not be
provided for the bowling
tournament.
www.ngat.org
Don’t miss the
51st Annual NGAT Conference and
4th Annual Joint Military Affairs Conference
26-28 March 2010/Austin, TX
Wine Tasting is a big hit!
The 1400-1500 tasting is
SOLD OUT. We still have a
few seats left for the 11001200 and the 1230-1330 time.
Seats are first come first serve
so get your registration form
Friday Night "NGAT IDOL"
Welcome Party The Friday night
Welcome Party will be at the Austin
Convention Center. A barbeque buffet
meal and refreshments will be served. So
come prepared to visit with friends and network with
conference exhibitors. After you have had time to
mingle with exhibitors and enjoy your barbeque, head
over to the Radisson Hotel ballroom and join in the fun
with music by D.J. PDM of Life of the Party at the
"NGAT IDOL PARTY". It is sure to be National Guard
entertainment at it's best with a wide variety of
karaoke songs to chose from. So get ready to show us
what you got! You could be the next "NGAT IDOL".
If karaoke and dance music is not your cup of tea then
come relax, have a drink and listen to music by the
Army band.
LATE REGISTRATION STARTS 1 MARCH 2010
REGISTER NOW AND SAVE $25.00!!
LATE REGISTRATION STARTS 1 MARCH 2010
REGISTER NOW AND SAVE $25.00!!
NGAT NEWS NUGGETS
MILITARY MOMS OF TEXAS
With Texas ranking number one in total military recruits and number two in Iraqi War casualties, the need for a
strong support network is critical. When local Army mom, Tracy La Porte, watched her son deploy, she knew she
needed to find like-minded people to share the daily struggles of having a son overseas. When she began her
search for such a network, there was little to be found. She vowed then that Soldiers needed an organization to
assist them and become active in Texas. In October 2009 she formed Military Moms of Texas, a group that not
only provides support for its members and Soldiers, but also actively thanks them for their service with programs
like Deployed Night Out. Military Moms of Texas prepares care packages, assists and collects foods and items for
military families, welcome home and send off for our troops, assist in deployment and tend to the needs of our
Soldiers, their families and more. With your help and sponsorship we can all rest assured that our Soldiers will
be treated like the heroes that they are. It is the Soldier that allows us our freedom so it is the least we can do
to support them with Military Moms of Texas programs.
Military Moms of Texas, a non-profit organization committed to supporting our troops at home and abroad. MMOT
has no political or religious affiliation, so our membership is all encompassing and supports all branches of the military. It takes a village of locals, friends, families, and businesses to help our Soldiers and their families. If you
have a loved one serving in the U.S. armed forces or you’re just someone simply looking for a way to help and show
your patriotism, MMOT is for you. We provide Welcome Home Groups, Deployed Night Out, Hero Packages, Soldier Adoption, Soldiers Family Assistance Support, Fort Hood Assistance, Chaplain Care and PTSD Support. For
more information go to militarymomsoftexas.com. Also look for them on Facebook.
Military OneSource Offers Free Tax Filing
By: Elaine Wilson, American Forces Press Service
Defense officials encourage military families to once again take advantage of the free electronic tax filing services offered through Military OneSource. People can access the H&R
Block at Home program by going to www.militaryonesource.com and clicking on "Tax Filing
Services." More than 200,000 servicemembers filed their tax returns through this resource last year, officials said. "We have such a mobile force, and you have folks dispersed all
over the world. It's a quick link for the family to link up with the [servicemember]," said
Tommy T. Thomas, deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy. "It's a convenience for you to be able to go on that site and file that tax form."
The program is open to active duty, Guard and Reserve servicemembers, regardless of activation status, as
well as spouses, dependent children and family members standing in for a deployed servicemember. Participants
can e-file up to three state resident returns for each federal return, Thomas said. However, he added, they
should ensure they're fi ling through Military OneSource. People who file through H&R Block directly may be
charged for services, he cautioned.
The program is set up for basic returns. People who wish to upgrade to the premium program also may incur charges. For tax assistance, filers can call a Military OneSource tax consultant from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. EST,
seven-days-a- week, at 800-730-3802 . "That's a tremendous service," Thomas said. "We feel it's important to
give our military families the absolute best." Along with the consultants, people with complicated tax returns can
visit a legal assistance office on a military installation for more in-depth advice, he said.
Whether online or on base, people should file early, Thomas advised. "Don't run up against the 15 April
deadline," he said. "And when you get the return, look at it as the means to secure your family's finances,"
whether its paying off debts, adding to a savings account or contributing to a Thrift Savings Plan.
Page 3
Spouse Club Hubs
CinCHouse.com is proud to offer Spouse Club Hubs. The Hubs are free websites for spouse club and FRG leaders
to help ease their burden of communicating the most current information to their members. The hub will also allow group leaders to market and encourage participation, manage their member database, and coordinate newsletters. Currently, more than 100 FRGs and spouse clubs host their websites with CinCHouse. It's all free thanks to
corporate sponsorship. For more information, please go to:
www.ausa.org/programs/familyprograms/Pages/default.aspx
Closing the Gaps:
A Community Effort to Meet the Needs of Our Veterans
By Senator Leticia Van de Putte, R.Ph and Representative Frank Corte
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, over 23.4 million veterans live
in the United States. Of that population, nearly 2 million veterans call Texas home.
In recent years, our nation has seen a tremendous influx of service members transitioning from active duty to veteran status. Since 2002, more than 870,000 service
members have separated from the active military and reserve component forces and transitioned to civilian life
after having served in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
These returning veterans, added to the existing population of aging veterans, have a tremendous variety of service needs including health care, vocational rehabilitation, employment and training, care giving, social services,
housing, and independent living assistance to name just a few. The needs of our veterans and their families are
extensive and no one organization is capable of meeting all these needs alone. Veterans seeking assistance are
generally met by a number of independently administered federal, state, and local service providers. The absence
of the integration of these services presents a tremendous challenge to veterans and their families, who are
forced to navigate a complex web of services and programs that often are not well coordinated. This situation
forces an undue burden on those who we believe are the most deserving of our support.
As the chairs of the Texas State Senate and House Committees on Veterans Affairs, this is an area of tremendous concern for us. We recently met with, Altarum Institute, a Michigan based nonprofit health care systems
research and consulting organization that brought a proposed philanthropic solution to the Texas Veterans Commission for some of the challenges facing today’s veterans. Altarum’s Veterans Community Action Teams (VCAT)
Mission Project was begun in 2008 with the specific goal of strengthening the web of care that currently exists
for veterans and their families. The VCAT project is developing a collaborative, community-based model to integrate the outreach and delivery of services from public, private, and nonprofit organizations for veterans and
their families right here in Bexar County. The model envisions a veteran service system of care, characterized
by a comprehensive network of service providers, empowered with knowledge, information and tools and effectively ensuring that all veterans and family members who these providers encounter are accurately and timely
connected to the appropriate service provider(s) and are having their needs completely served. Multiple public,
private, and community-based organizations are participating in this collaborative effort.
We also had the opportunity to attend and present “The Promise of Collaboration in San Antonio” to the Veterans
Leadership Forum, which Altarum Institute and the Texas Veterans Commission hosted on January 20 at the Fort
Sam Houston Golf Club. Over 90 participants were involved in the Veterans Leadership Forum, and Bexar County
has begun the process of developing a collaborative network focused on improving the quality of life for our veterans and their families. Altarum Institute will continue the VCAT project in partnership with federal, state, and
local veterans’ community leaders and service providers into early 2011. We look forward to following their progress and learning more about their success in improving services for the veterans to whom we – and the entire
nation – owe so much.
Page 4
www.ngat.org
NGAT News Nuggets
132ND
JOIN US FOR THE
NGAUS GENERAL CONFERENCE
21-23 AUGUST 2010
AUSTIN, TEXAS
ATTENTION
OFFICERS
NGAT HAS $165.00 WAITING FOR YOU!!!
NGAT invites you to attend the 132nd NGAUS General Conference
compliments of NGAT. You must be a current member of NGAT
and NGAUS to qualify for the FREE NGAUS registration.
(This is a $165.00 value)
FREE registration does not include hotel or travel cost.
RENEW YOUR NGAUS DUES TODAY!!
I CHALLENGE YOU TO RECRUIT OTHERS.
Are you interested in working at the NGAUS Conference?
Contact the NGAT office to get your name on the list.
512-454-7300 or email [email protected]
www.ngat.org
www.ngat.org/NGAUS2010.htm
Ad submission forms available at:
http://www.ngat.org/51st%20NGAT%20Conf%20Home%20Page.htm
Page 6
www.ngat.org
NGAT News Nuggets
We are now preparing for the production of our National Guard Association of Texas (NGAT) 2010 Annual Conference Program. The program will consist of 120 pages of both 4-color and black and white advertisements and
will be distributed to attendees at the 51st Annual NGAT Conference to be held in Austin, Texas, on 26-28 March
2010..
This year, 50% of all sales generated from ¼ page sales and above will be donated to the unit or region of your
choice or to the National Guard Association of Texas Education Foundation Scholarship Fund.
Advertising options range from as little as $25 for a name listing to $250 for a ¼ page size advertisement. A
Special Discounted Rate (20% savings off the regular price) is available for companies and organizations that employ National Guard soldiers or airmen.
This year advertising will be organized by city to facilitate our members recognizing and supporting those local
merchants who support the Guard.
The space reservation and pricing form along with additional information can be downloaded from the NGAT website (www.ngat.org) or you can purchase/sell an advertisement or listing by using the tear sheet below.
Yes, please reserve the following advertisement space for my company/organization:
Select advertisement size
Full-Page
Half-Page
¼ Page
⅛ Page
Business Card
Friends of the Guard name listing
Booster name listing
Black/White
4-Color
$750
$1500
$400
$750
$250
$400
$150
$250
$25
$75
$50
50% of all sales from ¼ page size advertisements and above will be donated to the National Guard Unit Organization of your choice. Please indicate the unit you wish to donate the sales proceeds to:
____________________________________________________________________________
(Unit Name)
(City)
OR
(Region)
“Here’s to the Heroes” Provides Free Admission For Military Members and Direct Dependents to Theme Parks Operated by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. A tribute program that
has provided free admission to SeaWorld and Busch Gardens for more than 4 million members of U.S. and coalition armed forces and their families has been extended through 2010.
“Here’s to the Heroes,” a program sponsored by Anheuser-Busch, was launched in February
2005 to celebrate the service of military men and women and the sacrifices made by their
families. “It is gratifying to all of us that so many members of our armed forces have taken
advantage of this program and honored us with a visit,” said Jim Atchison, President and CEO
of SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. “This is a difficult time for our men and women in uniform – and their families –– and we are honored to give them something back.” Here’s to the
Heroes provides a single day’s free admission to any one SeaWorld or Busch Gardens park,
Sesame Place, Adventure Island or Water Country USA for the service member and as many
as three of his or her direct dependents. Any active duty, active reserve, ready reserve service member or National Guardsman representing any of the five service branches is entitled
to free admission under the program. He or she need only register,
either online at www.herosalute.com or in the entrance plaza of a participating park,
and show a Department of Defense photo ID. Also included in the offer are members
of foreign military forces serving in the coalitions in Iraq or Afghanistan or attached
to American units in the U.S. for training. “This is one small way we can acknowledge
and thank the soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen and Coast Guardsmen whose service
helps to preserve the freedom and safety of every American,” said Dave Peacock,
president, Anheuser-Busch. “It’s important to all of us at Anheuser-Busch that we
show our gratitude to the men and women of our armed forces and their families for
the sacrifices they make on our behalf.”
It’s important to realize
that owning a pet isn’t for
everyone. Pets do come
with additional work and
responsibility, which can
bring its own stress. However, for most people, the
benefits of having a pet
outweigh the drawbacks.
Having a furry best friend
can reduce stress in your
life and bring you support
when times get tough.
Pets Control Blood
Pressure Better Than
Drugs
Yes, it’s true. While ACE
inhibiting drugs can generally reduce blood pressure,
they aren’t as effective on
controlling spikes in blood
pressure due to stress and
tension. However, groups of
hypertensive New York
stockbrokers who got dogs
or cats were found to have
lower blood pressure and
heart rates than those who
didn’t get pets.
Page 8
www.ngat.org
Pets Can Improve Your Mood
For those who love animals, it’s virtually impossible to stay in a bad
mood when a pair of loving puppy eyes meets yours, or when a supersoft cat rubs up against your hand.
Pets Can Reduce Stress—Sometimes More Than People
While we all know the power of talking about your problems with a
good friend who’s also a good listener, recent research shows that
spending time with a pet may be even better! Recent research shows
that, when conducting a task that’s stressful, people actually experienced less stress when their pets were with them than when a supportive friend or even their spouse was present! (This may be partially due to the fact that pets don’t judge us; they just love us.)
Pets Stave Off Loneliness and Provide Unconditional Love:
Pets can be there for you in ways that people can’t. They can offer
love and companionship, and can also enjoy comfortable silences,
keep secrets and are excellent snugglers. And they could be the
best antidote to loneliness. In fact, research shows that nursing
home residents reported less loneliness when visited by dogs than
when they spent time with other people!
NGAT News Nuggets
Walt Disney World Resort Celebrates U.S. Military in 2010
As Disney Parks ask "What Will You Celebrate?" and invite guests to turn their personal milestones into magical family vacations in 2010, America's military personnel will have more reasons to celebrate: Special offers on theme park tickets and accommodations.
With Disney's Armed Forces Salute, from Jan. 3 to July 31, 2010, active and retired U.S. military personnel (including active
and retired members of the United States Coast Guard and active members of the National Guard or Reservists) or their
spouses can purchase Disney's 4-Day Military Promotional Base Tickets for $99, plus tax, for themselves and up to five additional family members or friends for use at Walt Disney World Resort.
The Park Hopper and Water Park Fun & More options can be added for an additional $26, plus tax, per option, per ticket. No
more than six Disney's 4-Day Military Promotional Tickets (with or without options) may be
purchased by any eligible member of the U.S. military (and/or spouse) pursuant to this offer.
All tickets and options are non-transferable and must be used by Sept. 30, 2010. However, the tickets and options are not
valid for use on the following blockout dates: March 27, 2010, to April 9, 2010, for all Walt Disney World theme parks and
other gated attractions; and July 3 to July 4, 2010, for the Magic Kingdom park.
Active and retired U.S. military personnel also can save up to 40 percent on rooms at select Disney resorts! This offer is good
for stays most nights Jan. 3-Sept. 30, 2010, except not available 3/28-4/10/10 and 7/1-7/5/10, and
can be booked through July 31, 2010. (The number of rooms allocated for this offer is limited. Minimum length of stay requirements may apply for Friday or Saturday arrivals. Savings based on non-discounted price for the same
room. Valid Military ID will be required upon check-in. No group rates or other discounts apply. Advance reservations required.
Additional per-adult charges apply if more than two adults per room.)
For information regarding Disney's 4-Day Military Promotional Tickets, or to make room reservations, military personnel may
call 407/939-7830 or participating U.S. military base ticket offices. Information is also
available at www.disneyworld.com/military
Pepsi is running a contest & the top 10 ideas in each category (based on a
nationwide vote) will get funding. If The Hugs Project wins, we pledge
to spend $50,000
supporting America’s troops who go into harm’s way
to protect our freedoms.
Please spread the word to your friends &
neighbors & vote at:
www.refresheverything.com/TheHugsProject
PLEASE VOTE EVERY DAY!!!!!
If you have a loved one or friend serving
“over there” please send their name and
address to [email protected]
and they will receive a care package
from The Hugs Project. Thank you.
Can America’s troops count on you???
Page 9
www.ngat.org
NGAT News Nuggets
Page 10
www.ngat.org
NGAT News Nuggets