EANGKY - The Enlisted Association of the National Guard of Kentucky

08/08/2026

🎖️ COMBAT WOUNDED. FOREVER HONORED.

Today we recognize the men and women who wear the Purple Heart.

On August 7, 1782, General George Washington established the Badge of Military Merit, the honor we know today as the Purple Heart. It is awarded to those wounded or killed in action against an enemy of the United States. Two hundred forty-four years later, it remains the mark of a debt this country can never fully repay.

Wear it proudly. Remember always. Never forgotten.

To every Kentucky Guardsman who carries that award, and to every Gold Star family who carries the memory: their sacrifice is etched in the heart of our nation.

Join us. 🔗 www.eangky.org

08/08/2026

Four words. That is all it takes.

“Are you okay, really?”

Most of us never say them. We notice something is off with a battle buddy, and we tell ourselves it is not our place. We tell ourselves we would be overstepping. We tell ourselves someone closer to them will handle it.

That silence is what we are here to break.

Last year, this scramble helped bring awareness! “Had to Ask,” a training film born right here in Kentucky. It has since been recognized at the National Guard Bureau level and is now used across all 54 states and territories. Kentucky Guard families told their story so that other families would not have to live the same one.

September is Su***de Prevention Awareness Month. Come spend a morning on the course with people who understand.

📋 Check-in 8:00 AM | Shotgun start 9:00 AM
👥 Team $400 | Individual $100 (we will pair you up)
🎁 Swag bag for every player, contests, prizes for the top 3 teams

Register: events.golfstatus.com/event/shatter-the-silence-2026

Grab three friends. Ask the question. Break the silence.

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, then press 1 for the Veterans Crisis Line. Someone is there, right now.

EANGKY is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

“Had to Ask” by Maj. Will BlandThis short film, produced by the K...

08/05/2026

08/05/2026

please like and share--sign up today---https://www.discgolfscene.com/tournament/For_The_Love_Of_A_Veteran_Doubles_Tournament_2026

08/05/2026

Kentucky is a participant in the Army’s H2F pilot, and 1LT Thomas is the Soldier putting that mission into practice here at home. His point is a simple one: if we expect Soldiers to perform at a higher level, we have to start resourcing and training them like the athletes they are.

That is exactly the culture shift Kentucky is committed to. Readiness is not one lane. It is physical, mental, spiritual, and it reaches every Family standing behind every Soldier. We strive to stay at the forefront in all of it.

1LT Thomas also works directly with our EANGKY Treasurer on legislative issues within the Army Military Family Programs section of the KYARNG, tying fitness and readiness policy to the advocacy we carry to Frankfort and to Washington.

Ready Soldiers. Ready Families. Ready Kentucky.

Go get after it, Sir. 💪

Burlington native and Kentucky Army National Guard officer Erik Thomas returns to the 2026 CrossFit Games.

08/05/2026

You raise your right hand. You do the thing. You go where they send you.

Somewhere in there, you get hurt. Not "rolled my ankle at PT" hurt. "Your packet is at the medical board" hurt. You go through IDES, get found unfit, and you're medically retired at 12 years.

Two separate things are supposed to happen now:

1. Retired pay from DoD. That's your paycheck for the years you served. You earned that by showing up.

2. VA disability compensation. That is not a paycheck. That's the government acknowledging your body did not come home the way it left.

Two things. Two reasons. Two agencies.

Except that's not how it works. Because you were medically retired before hitting 20 years, you hand back your retired pay dollar for dollar in order to receive the VA compensation. You don't get both. You get one of them wearing the other one's name tape.

In civilian terms: picture working 12 years somewhere, building a pension, then getting hurt on the job badly enough that you're done working. You collect workers' comp. Nobody shows up at your door to take the pension away because you're "already getting paid." That would be absurd. Your neighbor would have a lawyer on the phone before the mail truck cleared the driveway.

That is the actual deal for combat-injured medical retirees under 20 years.

The fix: the Major Richard Star Act ends that offset. It's named for an Army Reserve major, a combat engineer who cleared IEDs in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer tied to burn pit exposure, and found out during treatment that he couldn't draw both. He spent his last months trying to fix it for everyone coming behind him. He died in 2021.

Where it stands: 334 cosponsors in the House. 79 in the Senate. That is not a close vote. That is a landslide with nowhere to happen. It's been blocked four times from reaching the Senate floor and was dropped from the FY26 NDAA in conference.

Why you care in year one: injuries do not politely wait until year 19. The soldier this hits hardest is the one who got hurt early. Learn it now, so you're not learning it later off a DFAS statement.

08/05/2026

If you are in Orlando and would like to know more about AMVETS National Headquarters you should register!

08/04/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19VQun2Dqx/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Telephone Tuesday - tell a friend about the Veterans Crisis Line.
Veterans or anyone concerned about a Veteran can call. You do not have to be enrolled in VA benefits or health care to call.

Call 988, press 1, Text 838255, or Chat Online at https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/

08/04/2026

08/04/2026

We’re excited to announce the next Commonwealth of Kentucky’s Virtual Job Fair, presented by the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs, and we’d love for you to be a part of it!

This Virtual Job Fair is open to any state across the nation!

Register Now!

Employers register here: https://pvapi.premiervirtual.com/s/8pL3M8
Job Seekers register here: https://pvapi.premiervirtual.com/s/xa29eW

Event Details: Virtual Job Fair
Date: Wednesday, August 19, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM EST
Employer & Job Seeker Cost: Zero

MAJOR UPDATE!

We have expanded the schedule time frame to include early access and late access all week long. See the hours below:

Schedule:
Early Access
August 17 open at 8:00 AM

Live Event-August 15
- 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM: Veterans & Military Families
- 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM: Open to All Job Candidates

Late Access
August 21 close out at 5:00 PM

Early and late access times allow job seekers and employers the chance to see what job positions are available/posted and job seekers who registered. This allows those who are unable to attend during the live event time to be able to still see what's out there, with our hope to better meet the needs of the seekers and employers.

This event is completely free for both employers and job candidates / seekers, providing an excellent opportunity to connect and explore career opportunities. Looking ahead, our job fair will take place on the third Wednesday of each month in 2026.

Here’s a preview of the upcoming dates:
- September 16, 2026
- October 21, 2026
- November 18, 2026

Make sure to mark your calendars, and feel free to share this with anyone who might benefit from attending. We look forward to seeing you there!