&nbs= p;

&= nbsp;

The Presidents Connection

Dear Frank,
The "Presidents Connection" is the official communcation tool from the office of the Enlist= ed Association of the National Guard of the United States (EANGUS) President, Frank Lever.

3D"Charlie IN THIS ISSUE . . .

. . . WHAT= HAS EANGUS DONE FOR ME LATELY?

GI Bill. Senator Jim Webb= and Senator Chuck Hagel introduced legislation (SA.22) sought to mod= el the World War II GI Bill. The bill was included in the Emergency Supplemental funding bill for Fiscal 2008 and 2009 (HR 2642), wh= ich was signed into law by President Bush as Public Law 110-252 on J= une 30, 2008.
Incorporated in the 2007 NDAA but not enacted until October 2007, the first day of fiscal 2008, this combined three premium tiers = into one, making TRICARE Reserve Select more affordable.

TRICA= RE payments to providers are tied to Medicare provider payments.&nb= sp; HR 6331 passed the House 355-59 (bipartisan support) and the Sen= ate passed the bill by unanimous consent. President Bush vetoed the bill, but the House overrode the veto.

= ;For the third year in a row, DOD has attempted to raise TRICARE fees, co-payments and deductibles without any greater access to provid= ers or improvement in service. Again, this would have seriously impacted Retirees' benefits. Congress denied their request.

The 2008 NDAA included provisions for early Reserve retirement, but no retroactivity. Legislation has been introduced to correct this inequity.

The Heroes Earning Assistance = and Relief Tax Act, (PL 110-245) was signed into law on June 17, 2008. It gives tax breaks and benefits to Guard members.&n= bsp; It allows death gratuity payments to be put into tax deferred savings or retirement plans. It allows penalty free withdrawals from personal retirement plans for mobilized reservists. There are small business tax credits and other provisions.

The conference in Savannah, Georgia is very close.&= nbsp; Vice President Roger Hagan and his team have worked diligently to ens= ure that you enjoy an outstanding visit to the "City of Squares"= ;.

In addition, the National Office has a huge responsibility. Ple= ase be patient as we transition from a state-controlled conference to a national-controlled one. The transition is extremely challenging. The number of details is staggering for an office = that is already overloaded and short of help. Although the conferenc= e is important, daily work must also be accomplished.

As you know, this is an election year. All Executive Officer positions are open as well as one Area Director from each area. Please be diligent in choosing individuals who have time and support = from family, the state association, their commander and state CCM/CSM.

In closing, I will thank you for supporting our great military. Why not get involved in an Association that will cont= inue to support our troops? Both the Auxiliary and EANGUS could use = your help and expertise!!

Until next month, stay safe. Stay focused. Think EANGUS!<= /span>

3D"Choo-Choo

37TH ANN= UAL CONFERENCE
18 - 21 August 2008
Savannah= , Georgia

Get on the "Mi= dnight Train" to Georgia.

See you th= ere!

QUICK LI= NKS

Register Now

Last Month's Newsletter

More About Us<= span style=3D'font-family:"Times New Roman"'>

Sincerely,

Ellen and Frank Lever
President
EANGUS

843-767-3399 (Home/Fax)
www.eangus.org

<= /o:p>