November 2011-January 2012 - Wisconsin National Guard ...

@easeMilitary retireevolunteers neededThe Wisconsin Employer Supportof the Guard and Reserve Committeeis looking for retirees from all branchesof service to become volunteers for theESGR program.ESGR is a Department of Defenseagency, established in 1972, to promotecooperation and understanding betweenreserve component members and theircivilian employers, and assist in resolvingconflicts stemming from an employee’smilitary commitment. The ESGR programcovers the entire United States and alsooversees a committee in Europe.The Wisconsin ESGR committee ismade up of approximately 140 volunteersthat donate, on average, up to 4 hoursper month for ESGR activities. Mostvolunteer time takes place close to ourmembers’ communities. Some activitiesinclude meeting with commanders,first sergeants and service members forreserve component units in Wisconsin —including Army National Guard, ArmyReserve, Air National Guard, Air ForceReserve, Navy Reserve, Marine CorpsReserve and Coast Guard Reserve — afew times each year to explain the basicsabout ESGR, support unit events andprovide briefings if needed.Volunteers can support a number ofdifferent activities, including:• Employer Outreach: Work withlocal employers and educate them aboutESGR. Present Patriot Awards and acquiresignatures for Statements of Support.• Military Outreach: Educate localmilitary units about ESGR.• Ombudsman: Receive formaltraining and resolve employer conflictsthrough informal mediation.• Public Affairs: Work with localmedia regarding ESGR events and newsreleases.Wisconsin is divided into nineESGR areas — areas 1 through 4 coversouthern and eastern Wisconsin, andExpressVeterans, Families, Retireesareas 5 through 9 cover northern andwestern Wisconsin. An ESGR volunteeris assigned to every National Guard andReserve unit in the state.The Wisconsin ESGR committeemeets at least twice a year, with trainingmeetings in the fall and awards banquetin the spring. Volunteers are placed oninvitational travel orders and receiveper diem for food, lodging and mileageto and from ESGR events, where theywill receive training, updates and meetother ESGR volunteers. Volunteerswould also receive basic ESGR trainingupon assignment and attend quarterlymeetings in their area. It is understood thatvolunteers may not be able to attend everymeeting or both training weekends.To become a volunteer, contact theESGR offices. To reach the Madisonoffice, call 608-242-3169, 608-242-3279or 800-335-5147, ext. 3169 or ext. 3729.To reach the Eau Claire office, call 715-858-9676.Tutoring services offeredNational Guard and Reserve familiescan now receive online tutoring andhomework assistance at no charge fromwww.tutor.com/military. This programconnects kindergarten through 12th-gradestudents with live tutors online, anytime,for help with homework, studying,exam preparation, college courseworkand more. The more than 2,500 tutorsare carefully screened experts includingcertified teachers, college professors,graduate students, select undergraduatesfrom accredited universities, and otherprofessionals.This free service is availableregardless of duty status, and is providedas a collaborative effort between theDepartment of Defense Morale Welfareand Recreation (MWR) Library Programand the Department of Defense YellowRibbon Reintegration Program.ACT, SAT tests offered tomilitary familiesA partnership between eKnowledge, agroup of NFL players — including CoreyWilliams of the Green Bay Packers — andthe Department of Defense will distributemore than $16.5 million of eKnowledge’sSAT/ACT preparation programs tomilitary service members and theirfamilies. Active duty, retired, veterans,Guard, Reserve, and all DoD employeesand civilians performing military supportare eligible for this program.The program features 120 interactive,multimedia video lessons. Students canorganize their test preparation into shortstudy periods to maximize study time.Services, hours forRetiree Activities OfficesThe Retiree Activities Office (RAO)provides guidance and information toretirees and spouses of retirees, of allranks and services. The RAO providesinformation on military status, TRICARE,military ID cards, survivor benefits, deathreporting and much more.Retirees may provide an e-mailaddress, to include first name, middleinitial, last name, retired military gradeand branch of service to widma.retiree@wisconsin.gov to be added to the RAO’se-mail data base. The RAO also has awebsite that provides a lot of informationfor retirees and can be found at http://dma.wi.gov/retirees.The Madison RAO is located at JointForce Headquarters, 2400 Wright Street,Room 160, Madison, Wis. 53704. TheRAO is open Tuesdays and Thursdays7:30 to 11:30 a.m. except on holidays.Their phone number is 608-242-3115,1-800-335-4157, ext. 3115, DSN 724-3115. Contact the RAO with questions orfor assistance.The Milwaukee RAO is co-locatedwith the 128th Air Refueling Wing,General Mitchell Air National GuardBase, 1835 E. Grange Ave, Bldg 512,Milwaukee, Wis., 53207. Their phonenumber is 414-944-8212. Their e-mailaddress is rao.128arw@ang.af.mil. TheMilwaukee RAO is manned by volunteerson Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10a.m.-2 p.m.Vets4WarriorsThe Vets4Warriors peer support line,1-855-838-8255 (1-855-VET-TALK),provides easy access to supportive, nonattributionalconversations with trainedveteran peers representing all branchesof the military. This team of veteranpeers has immediate access to behavioralhealth clinicians to respond to potentiallyemergent issues and can offer referralsto local community services, militaryveteran centers, and military healthcareproviders based upon the needs of theService Member. A variety of services willbe provided to include non-clinical (legal,financial) and referrals for clinical services(substance abuse, behavioral health).Post-9/11 GI BillFor all those utilizing Chapter 33Post 9-11 GI Bill benefits, an updateto eBenefits was released that allowsstudents to view their Chapter 33entitlement and enrollment information.eBenefits enrollees, who have a Premiumaccount, can now view their VA educationbenefit enrollment information online.Once logged in, key information isdisplayed such as your Post-9/11 GI Billeligibility date, your delimiting (or end)date, the amount of entitlement used, andthe amount of remaining entitlement. Itwill also display your enrollment history.Complete instructions on how toestablish a basic and the required premiumaccount are located at https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits-portal/ebenefits.portal Contact the Wisconsin NationalGuard Education Office with additionalquestions.44 November 2011-January 2012