Bill Provides Helping Hand to NGEF

The National Guard Educational Foundation could receive support from the National Guard if a bill introduced last week by Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska, becomes law.

The NGEF would join organizations like the Boy Scouts of America, the Civil Air Patrol, the Special Olympics and others that now can receive Guard support, including medical assistance and use of facilities. The assistance must be part of a training requirement and cannot replace a commercial provider of the services.

In a letter to his colleagues urging them to support the National Guard Youth Foundation Education Act of 2013, Begich wrote, “Adding the foundation to the list of organizations that may receive assistance from the National Guard will assist the foundation’s efforts to promote the National Guard’s storied history, raise public awareness, and help support National Guard recruiting and retention efforts.”

The NGEF operates the National Guard Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., and manages a large resource library. It also provides outreach to better inform the public about the role of the Guard in the nation’s history and today.