U.S.
Pennsylvania National Guard, veterans saluted at state Capitol
Republican Herald
June 7, 2023
The Pennsylvania National Guard and the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs hosted a Guard and Veterans Day event at the Commonwealth Keystone Building on Tuesday, June 6, 2023, highlighting programs for legislators, their staff, commonwealth employees and Pennsylvanians. (Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs/Facebook)
(Tribune News Service) — The Pennsylvania National Guard and the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs hosted a Guard and Veterans Day event at the Commonwealth Keystone Building on Tuesday, highlighting programs for legislators, their staff, commonwealth employees and Pennsylvanians.
"Today is a showcase of the positive ways we impact Pennsylvania. Your National Guard protects and defends, the DMVA serves our veterans, and the Keystone State ChalleNGe Academy educates our youth. Together we serve Pennsylvania," Maj. Gen. Mark J. Schindler, Pennsylvania's adjutant general and head of the DMVA, was quoted in a news release.
The day also featured a special observance of the Pennsylvania National Guard's 30-year state partnership with the Lithuanian Armed Forces, which was highlighted by the presentation of an anniversary proclamation by Gov. Josh Shapiro.
Having begun in 1993, it is one of the oldest state partnerships in the National Guard and was named as one of the Department of Defense National Guard State Partnership Program partnerships of the year for 2022.
"The great friendship between the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Republic of Lithuania fostered by the establishment of our military-to-military partnership has grown tremendously," Schindler said. "Moving forward, we will work to strengthen our relationship by exploring additional civilian-to-civilian cooperation."
PNG and DMVA displayed equipment and highlighted resources for veterans and military families.
With a combined state and federal budget of over $945 million, DMVA and PNG employ approximately 22,000 civilian and military personnel in some 90 communities statewide. Its economic impact exceeds $1.4 billion.
PNG is the nation's third largest Guard with approximately 18,000 members, while Pennsylvania is home to more than 700,000 veterans, the fourth-largest veteran population in the country.
(c)2023 the Republican Herald (Pottsville, Pa.)
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