LAGRANGE, Ga. – The 49th Annual Enlisted Association of the National Guard of Georgia, or EANGGA, Conference gathered enlisted Soldiers, Airmen and their families to foster professional development, mutual support and advocacy.
As the state-level annual meeting for the association, the conference serves as a forum to elevate the welfare and prestige of the Georgia National Guard while conducting critical organizational business—all to advance policies and benefits that impact Guard members and their loved ones.
Senior Enlisted Advisor John Raines, SEA to the chief, National Guard Bureau, joined Maj. Gen. Richard Wilson, Georgia’s adjutant general; Command Sgt. Maj. Matthew Marks; and Georgia Rep. Josh Bonner, chairman of the Defense & Veterans Affairs Committee, to address the assembly and reaffirm the Guard’s mission, heritage and enduring values.
Raines delivered a candid keynote emphasizing the importance of people in every aspect of the National Guard’s work.
“People are always in the center of everything we do,” he said.
He emphasized that the values of the force “should be easy to see, not hear. People don’t care what you say, they care what you do.”
His comments underscored a call for visible integrity, action and accountability among enlisted leaders and the broader force.
In reference to today’s international climate, Raines noted, “You can sense the weight of global challenges all around us.” Against this backdrop, he emphasized that readiness remains the Guard’s guiding imperative—calling on attendees to strengthen partnerships across the community and military, and to continue driving the modernization of the force.
Modernization, according to Raines, means “putting the right equipment in the hands of warfighters so they have the upper hand on the battlefield.”
His message was clear: The force must transform to meet new threats, while remaining true to its foundational values.
Georgia’s Adjutant General reinforced this message of transformation.
“Our job is to fight and win. [Our] NCO [Noncommissioned Officers] Corps is the envy of the world,” Wilson said.
Wilson praised the professionalism and commitment of Georgia’s enlisted Soldiers and highlighted the Guard’s ongoing efforts to innovate and update capabilities.
Bonner emphasized the essential advocacy role that EANGGA plays in advancing legislation to support the Guard.
As Bonner explained, “[EANGGA] are the advocates for the very specific policies that would benefit [Guard members] and their families, everything from improving recruitment and retention, to making sure that when we send these folks either within the state to respond to a disaster or outside of the state to defend our nation, that they not only have all the tools they need, but all the support that they need, too, when they're away, and then when they get back home.”
From healthcare and family programs to improved equipment and support systems, EANGGA ensures the voices and needs of Georgia’s Soldiers and Airmen are heard by lawmakers.
This year’s event comes as the National Guard marks 389 years since its founding. Established on Dec. 13, 1636, as a colonial militia, the Guard traces its lineage to the earliest citizen-Soldiers of Massachusetts, making it the oldest component of the U.S. Armed Forces. The emblematic Minuteman symbol—featured on the National Guard’s seal and derived from the Concord statue—serves as a visual reminder of this proud tradition. The Minuteman stands for vigilance, readiness and the will of American citizens to defend home and country at a moment’s notice.
Today, the Minuteman is more than historic iconography; it represents the continuing role of the National Guard as both a combat-ready reserve and a vital presence in state and local emergencies, a dual mission recognized and celebrated at the conference.