Shapiro Administration Celebrates PA National Guard, Veterans at State Capitol

| June 7, 2023

HARRISBURG, Pa. – The Pennsylvania National Guard (PNG) and the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) hosted a Guard and Veterans Day event at the Commonwealth Keystone Building, highlighting programs for legislators, their staff, commonwealth employees and Pennsylvanians.

“Today we celebrate the service of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and the Pennsylvania National Guard. We recognize the assistance the agency and departments provide to the Commonwealth and its citizens,” said Maj. Gen. Mark Schindler, Pennsylvania’s adjutant general and head of the DMVA. “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.”

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.

The State Partnership Program between Pennsylvania and Lithuania began in 1993 and it has not only increased civil and military cooperation but is also an example of the United States’ strong bonds with its allies. 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 added. “Moving forward, we will work to strengthen our relationship by exploring additional civilian to civilian cooperation.”

A number of table-top displays at the event demonstrated how the PNG and DMVA work together to serve our nation, commonwealth, veterans and community partners. PNG and DMVA displayed equipment and highlighted resources for veterans and military families.

With a combined state and federal budget of over $945 million, the DMVA and the PNG employ approximately 22,000 civilian and military personnel in some 90 communities statewide. The economic impact exceeds $1.4 billion.

The 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.

To learn more about the DMVA, visit www.dmva.pa.gov or follow at www.facebook.com/padmva or www.twitter.com/padmva.

To learn more about the PNG, visit www.pa.ng.mil or follow at www.facebook.com/PANationalGuard or www.twitter.com/PANationalGuard.


Copyright © 2024 EYT Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Any copying, redistribution or retransmission of the contents of this service without the express written consent of EYT Media Group, Inc. is expressly prohibited.

Category: Local News, News, State News

Jacob Deemer is a reporter for EYT Media Group, who is based out of Venango County. He started his career as a sports writer for a local newspaper before contributing to TheHockeyWriters.com as a beat writer for the Pittsburgh Penguins. He has spent over 6 years covering sports, crime, and local news in Venango, Clarion, and Jefferson Counties.
Author Website
Author Twitter Profile
Author YouTube Profile