BLACKS IN GOVERNMENT

Each year Blacks In Government (BIG) proudly honors each branch of the military during our National Training Institute (NTI) during the National President's Reception. Our annual Military Meritorious Service Awards (MMSA) honors an active service member or a supporting civilian of each branch with a plaque during a special recognition ceremony. The awards are based on formal nominations submitted from POCs at each branch. The individuals need not be a member of BIG to be selected. Honorees are also welcomed to attend training sessions while on site as well. It is important to note that these awards were first established in conjunction with support from the Department of Defense (DOD). However, long after DOD discontinued their financial support based on changes in their regulations that no longer allowed them to financially do so, BIG continued the awards in recognition of our strong belief in and support for the military. Our efforts focused on the military do not stop there. BIG also supports the military annually through our Military Veterans Emphasis Program (MVEP). In that regard, in addition to virtual commemoration programs held during the year, each year during our NTI we host special sessions for our military attendees that discuss military benefits and other matters of interest. Importantly, through MVEP we also leave a BIG footprint in each city that hosts our NTI by making a donation to the local veterans organization. Last year, we conducted a clothing drive through which we were able to donate bags and bags of clothing and toiletry items along with a monetary donation from BIG to the Louis Stokes VA Medical Center in Cleveland, OH, the site of the 2022 NTI. All of these programs are currently funded by BIG's budget, not corporate sponsors. We would be honored and extremely proud if Navy Federal would come on board as a visible sponsor for these two events this year. And, we would be happy to restrict any Navy Federal funds for those purposes. Lastly, our National President Shirley A. Jones, Esq. has repeatedly said that her favorite photo from the 2022 NTI was the one where she was flanked by some of the 2 Marines who were in attendance last year.