A Message From Your Association President

It’s my pleasure to be writing to you today as the newly elected President of the National Guard Association of Kansas.  First of all I’d like to thank outgoing President LTC Martin Fries for the outstanding leadership he’s provided over the past year.  He has the association pointed in the right direction and we will continue to pursue the initiatives he put into motion.  Fortunately, he will continue to be with us as the Immediate Past President for the next year.

By the time you read this the 2010-2011 NGAKS Board of Directors will have had its first meeting on 6 May.  Your board is made up of officers that have a genuine concern for improving the quality of life of Kansas guardsmen and their ability to perform the mission.  I’m excited regarding what we can accomplish over the next year.  I’d like you to notice that I said your board.  This is your association and your Board of Directors.  To be an effective organization (and in reality the only reason we exist) we must be relevant and accurately represent our membership.  If the issues we pursue are not those that are important to Kansas Guardsmen, we are failing in our mission.  This is a primary reason the association and Professional Development are, and should be, closely related.  Professional Development should strive to inform and educate our members regarding the challenges that lie before the National Guard and U.S. Military.  Armed with that knowledge, members form opinions and goals and articulate them to the association.  I know you have opinions and goals, but the only way your board can effectively represent you is if you are a member and you communicate with us.

Membership can be a contentious subject.  People do not enjoy being coerced or pressured into joining organizations (and even more so paying dues to)that  they have little interest in or don’t feel bring any value to their lives or career.  I understand and for that reason I challenge you to get involved and to recommend your peers get involved.  Do some research; find out what NGAUS and NGAKS have done for National Guardsmen and their families.  I have every confidence that if you truly do this you will find meaningful value in supporting and being a contributing part of the association.

Pilots, doctors, lawyers and other highly skilled career fields all have professional associations.  I cannot imagine that the numbers of folks in those vocations that do not belong to their respective professional associations can be very high.  To borrow a theme from our Enlisted Association; “Professional people belong to professional associations”.  To assume that those of us that serve in the National Guard are any less skilled, professional or deserving of adequate, no outstanding, representation would be doing ourselves a disservice.  That level and quality of representation is dependent upon you.

By the way, speaking of the enlisted corps and their association, as you research what NGAUS and NGAKS have accomplished over the years, do you expect to find that our goals are limited to those that benefit only officers?  Certainly not.  Our resolutions, taken together, benefit the whole of the National Guard.  In that light, I have another challenge for you, as an officer.  Even if you feel the association has nothing to offer you, support it for the sake of those most deserving of improved benefits and equipment to do their jobs, the enlisted corps.

Beyond membership, communication really is the key.  I’m very proud that NGAKS has accomplished 100% membership or greater for over 20 years and we’d like to see it stay that way.  While membership is in and of itself (by virtue of sheer numbers) an important form of communication; meaningful interaction is what drives the wheels of our organization.  Stand around the proverbial water cooler at any National Guard installation across the state and eventually the conversation will turn to what’s ‘screwed up’, could be improved upon, or is lacking funding.  Obviously, we cannot address all these ‘water cooler’ issues, but if that conversation never makes it any further, you have no one to blame but yourself.

Hopefully we’re making it easier for you to communicate.  NGAUS has an excellent website whose most important capability may be its “Write to Congress” feature.  If you haven’ used it, this feature makes it incredibly easy to reach your elected officials.  With just a few clicks you can send a letter with either your personal comments, or one of the several pre-written messages concerning topics of interest to guardsmen.  Your state association also has a new website with many great features including important information about the association, key events, news and the ability to take care of your annual of lifetime dues online.  There is also a link to our new Facebook page where we share the latest news and provide a forum to discuss issues.

The most effective means of communication, however, always takes place face-to-face and there are several opportunities for this.  Our board meetings are always open and if you’d like to sit in, just let us know so that we can make room for you. The dates are posted on the website.  The site also lists all of the board and committee members.  Please contact one of them if you’d like to discuss an issue or have a question.  Or better yet, volunteer yourself to be on a committee. 

Probably the most interesting and exciting opportunities for face-to-face communication however, take place during our annual Legislative Workshop visits.  Each year we travel to Washington D.C. to attend a workshop sponsored by NGAUS and the National Guard Bureau that covers important aspects of the legislative process and its applicability to the National Guard.  Without a doubt, the most rewarding part of this trek is the opportunity to visit in person with our elected officials.  This past year we were able to schedule visits with each and every one of our senators and representatives.  There is not one person who has made this trip that did not come away saying that it was one of the most interesting and worthwhile things they have done as a guardsman.  Interest and participation in this event has grown to the point that we are looking at making it bi-annual so that we may accommodate everyone.  Additionally, we intend to explore bringing a similar event to Kansas so that even more members can experience it.

If you’ve made it this far through my article, I appreciate it.  I’ll close by saying it’s an honor to represent the organization that represents you and I hope to make this coming year a productive one.  Thank you.

Col Chris Stratmann
President, NGAKS