Brigadier General Dennis Schulstad (Ret.) - Guest
Angela Bernhard - Host
General Schulstad gave a talk about the importance of National Defense and shared with us several ways that we can help support Veterans. Wayzata Rotarians were proud to host 12 vets, with one from WWII!!Back to WWII, General Schulstad reminded us that that war was about our survival as a free and democratic national, not a political war. At that time, 12% of the population was serving and wearing a uniform, where today only .5% of the population is. He talked about the National Guard and how it is under the control of each state's Governor and how it can be called up for Federal use. Many men and women join the guard so they can take advantage of high level training but work in the private sector where income is higher.
Smart technology and cyber security are top concerns and focuses in today's national defence and it is imperative to get more people with high level training into the armed services. General Schulstad reminded us that all current people serving in the military are volunteers - they are keeping our country safe and we need to thank them! Below are 3 organizations that directly help vets from Minnesota.
ESGR: Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve: ESGR, a Department of Defense program, was established in 1972 to promote cooperation and understanding between Reserve Component Service members and their civilian employers and to assist in the resolution of conflicts arising from an employee's military commitment. Learn more.
MN Military Family Foundation: The mission of the Minnesota Military Family Foundation is to provide timely financial assistance to deployed and currently serving Minnesota military personnel and their families – which includes active duty, national guard and reserve components, across all services – who have a financial crisis that is not supported by existing state or federal programs. The Minnesota Military Family Foundation is a 100% volunteer organization.
Minnesotans’ Military Appreciation Fund (MMAF) is a statewide fundraising initiative by the citizens of Minnesota, for Minnesota military personnel and their families. Launched in August of 2005, MMAF is a non-partisan, non-political, 501(C)(3) non-profit corporation. The mission of MMAF is to say "thanks" to Minnesota Service members and their families who are making sacrifices in the defense of our freedoms in combat zones around the world. MMAF has provided over $10.9 million in grants to more than 17,100 recipients, making it the nation’s largest-ever statewide fundraiser of its kind.
