Courtesy Photo | New York National Guard troops pose for a photo during the 54th annual conference for...... read more read more
Subscribe
Reno, NV – Nine New York National Guardsmen attended a professional development symposium during the 54th annual conference of the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States (EANGUS), in Reno, NV, Aug. 11-14, 2025.
During the conference the servicemembers attended Air and Army National Guard breakout sessions, participated in speed mentoring events, and posed questions to senior National Guard Bureau leadership during senior enlisted panels and Q&A sessions.
The Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to promoting the status, welfare and professionalism of enlisted members of the National Guard. Founded in 1972, EANGUS supports legislation that provides adequate staffing, pay, benefits, entitlements, equipment and installations for the United States National Guard.
“EANGUS is super important for the National Guard, and I would say, under-utilized,” said U.S. Air Force Tech Sgt. Maurissa Massiah, a financial management technician assigned to New York Air National Guard Headquarters. “It's the only professional organization that exists solely for enlisted members of the National Guard.”
EANGUS is composed of 54 separate chapters. One for each state and one for Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the District of Columbia, and members currently serving on title-10 status.
Massiah, who has attended five EANGUS national conferences, currently serves as the treasurer for the New York State chapter.
“I really want the attendees of this year to absorb everything that was given to them, and apply something useful as we journey to our next phases of being NCOs,” said Massiah.
During the conference, while EANGUS members focused on the business of the organization, the professional development attendees spent 4 days networking and receiving briefings from Army and Air National Guard leadership.
One event consisted of a briefing from U.S. Air Force Gen. Stephen Nordhaus, the chairman of the National Guard Bureau and U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. John Raines III, the senior enlisted advisor to the chairman. Following the briefing the professional development attendees joined Nordhaus and Raines onstage and posed for a group photo.
“I’m a new E5 and I came to this professional development because I would love to know more on how to be a good leader for my Soldiers and how to help them,” said U.S. Army Sgt. Eman Ramadan, a culinary specialist assigned to the 102nd Military Police Battalion. “I'm very thankful for this opportunity, and I wish we could do something like this professional development for our Soldiers back in New York.”
Ramadan, who serves fulltime on state active duty as a member of the New York State Citizen Preparedness Training Corps, applied to attend the professional development and even took vacation leave to attend the event. “At the beginning, I worried I was going to waste five days of leave, but no, it was so worth it.”
The Professional development sessions, planned in concert between EANGUS and the National Guard Bureau are tailored for junior enlisted warfighters and new NCOs.
“The intimacy of what you get out of this professional development – I can't even describe the value,” said Massiah. “That's probably why I keep coming back every year. Even though I’m on the board and I do business for our state, I think I mostly come back so I can learn just a little bit more, more about the guard, more about our future.”
| Date Taken: | 08.14.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.17.2025 11:12 |
| Story ID: | 547561 |
| Location: | RENO, NEVADA, US |
| Web Views: | 31 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, New York National Guard Troops Attend National Guard Enlisted Association Conference in Reno, Nevada, by Alexander Rector, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
