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DMA Military Newsletter | May 20, 2026 |
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| Ready to serve ★ military.nj.gov |
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Brigadier General Mays led the New Jersey National Guard's delegation to Albania to mark the 25th anniversary of the State Partnership Program with the Republic of Albania. |
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Advancing Readiness Through Global Partnerships |
This month, I had the honor of traveling to Albania to mark the 25th anniversary of the State Partnership Program between the New Jersey National Guard and the Republic of Albania. Over the past quarter century, this partnership has been strengthened through shared commitment, mutual respect, and years of standing shoulder to shoulder in training, exchanges, and operational cooperation.
During our visit, I met with Albanian President Bajram Begaj, Minister of Defense Ermal Nufi, Chief of Defense Lieutenant General Arben Kingji, and U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Nancy VanHorn. These engagements underscored the importance of investing in partnerships that advance readiness and interoperability. We look forward to welcoming our Albanian partners to New Jersey later this year for events that will continue our 25th‑anniversary commemoration.
What stands out most to me about the State Partnership Program is that its true strength lies in the relationships forged between service members. Whether training together in New Jersey, in Albania, or alongside other partner nations, our Soldiers and Airmen learn from our international partners and collectively strengthen readiness across both of our forces.
That spirit of excellence was on full display during this year’s New Jersey National Guard Best Warrior Competition. Over four demanding days at the beginning of this month, competitors tested themselves physically and mentally in events designed to challenge tactical skills, endurance, resilience, and leadership under pressure. These warriors exemplify professionalism and embody the standards our force brings to every mission.
This year’s Best Warrior Competition also demonstrated how our partnerships extend to the training environments that shape our Soldiers and Airmen. We were proud to host competitors from both of our partners, the Republic of Albania and the Republic of Cyprus. Events like Best Warrior help forge new ties and reinforce the shared values that unite our forces.
As we recognize 25 years of cooperation with Albania and continue to cultivate relationships with our partners, I remain incredibly proud of the Soldiers and Airmen who represent New Jersey with professionalism and excellence. Their dedication keeps our partnerships strong and ensures our force remains ready for whatever challenges lie ahead. |
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As always, thank you for staying connected to DMA.
We invite you to share ideas, events and feedback. Please email our team at outreach@dma.nj.gov.
Brigadier General Yvonne L. Mays
Adjutant General & Commissioner |
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 | Brigadier General Yvonne L. MaysThe Adjutant General of New Jersey
and
Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Military Affairs
cordially invites you to attend the
Memorial Day Ceremony
Thursday, May 21, 2026
11:00am
at the
New Jersey Department of Military Affairs
Lawrenceville Campus
101 Eggerts Crossing Road
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
Military: Uniform of the Day
Civilian: Business Casual |
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Governor Mikie Sherrill
requests the honor of your presence at the
State of New Jersey Memorial Day Observance
on Saturday, the twenty-third of May at eleven o'clock
Brigadier General William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery
350 Province Line Road, Wrightstown, NJ
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 | Brigadier General Yvonne L. Mays
The Adjutant General of New Jersey and
Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Military Affairs
cordially invites you to attend the
25th Anniversary Ceremony of the State Partnership
between
the State of New Jersey and the Republic of Albania
Wednesday, June 10, 2026
1100-1145 Ceremony
at the
New Jersey National Guard Armory
Building 151
151 Eggerts Crossing Road
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
Uniform/Attire: Class B's
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Community Calendar |
New events are added to the calendar on a daily basis so please bookmark and check back often. | | View Full Calendar |
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DMA Month in Review Video |
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NJ Best Warrior Competition 2026
Private First Class Roman A. Florio, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 114th Infantry Regiment, 44th Infantry Brigade Combat Team and Staff Sergeant Taj D. Lumanog, 1st Battalion, 254th Regiment (Combat Arms), won as the best enlisted and best noncommissioned officer, respectively, in the New Jersey Army National Guard’s Best Warrior Competition at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, NJ on May 8, 2026.
During the competition, the Soldiers demonstrated their adaptiveness, resilience, lethality, and the readiness of New Jersey’s Citizen-Soldiers to respond to future threats.
SFC Florio and SSG Lumanog will now go on to challenge seven other states’ winners at the Region I Best Warrior Competition in Rhode Island June 8-12, 2026.
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 | Republic of Albania
Brigadier General Mays led the New Jersey National Guard's delegation to Albania in early May to mark the 25th anniversary of the State Partnership Program with the Republic of Albania.
During the visit, Brig. Gen. Mays met with U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Nancy VanHorn, President Bajram Begaj, Minister of Defense Ermal Nufi, and Chief of Defense Lieutenant General Arben Kingji.
Additional anniversary events will take place in New Jersey during the second week of June. |
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 | Republic of Cyprus
Instructors from the New Jersey National Guard's 254th Regional Training Institute conducted the Common Faculty Development – Instructor Course (CFD‑IC) at Camp Stavros Stylianides in Kornos, Cyprus, marking the first time this course has been offered to the Cyprus National Guard.
Twenty‑one students graduated from the 10‑day course, strengthening instructor development and advancing NCO professional education.
This effort builds on the partnership between the New Jersey National Guard and the Republic of Cyprus through the National Guard's State Partnership Program. Stronger together! |
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Join Our Team | Service to Community & Country
100% Free College Tuition
Bonuses | GI Bill
Student Loan Repayment |
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 | CMSgt Michael Rakauckas
A retirement ceremony was held for U.S. Air Force Command Chief Master Sergeant Michael J. Rakauckas in Eastampton, NJ on May 1, 2026.
From October 2019 to April 2024, Rakauckas served as the tenth New Jersey State Command Chief Master Sergeant, where he was responsible for the professional development, military readiness, health, morale, and welfare of more than 2,100 New Jersey Air National Guard enlisted members.
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CSM Mark LeonardA retirement ceremony was held for U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major Mark A. Leonard in Lawrenceville, NJ on May 8, 2026.
Prior to his retirement, Leonard served as the New Jersey National Guard State Command Sergeant Major. View Images |
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 | MSG Marie Burns
The New Jersey Army National Guard Recruiting and Retention Battalion bids farewell to Master Sergeant Marie Burns.
With 24+ years of service, she joined in 2001 and was activated in response to 9/11 in support of Operation Noble Eagle.
A cornerstone of the Recruiting & Retention Battalion for over two decades, she retires as a Section Chief and was promoted to Master Sergeant in 2019.
We bid you farewell hoping nothing but the best for you in your endeavors! |
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 | MSgt Jason Harden
U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant Jason Harden, 177th Fighter Wing Chaplain Corps superintendent, poses for a photo after receiving the Air National Guard Chaplain Corps Minuteman Award for 2025 from Colonel Jonathan Bell, director of the Air National Guard Chaplain Corps, at the Atlantic City Air National Guard Base on May 16, 2026.
MSgt Harden was awarded the Air National Guard Chaplain Corps Minutemen Award for 2025 for his actions during the "Make DC Safe and Beautiful" mission. |
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NJ Service MedalsIn accordance with New Jersey statute, the Adjutant General of New Jersey is the approving authority for the award of New Jersey state service medals.
The State of New Jersey awards medals to honorably discharged Veterans of the state who served during peacetime and in various conflicts and combat theaters.
State medals include the Distinguished Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, POW/MIA Medal, Desert Storm Medal, and the Global War on Terrorism Medal.
Learn More |
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 | NJ Youth ChalleNGe Academy
Please join us in congratulating Cadet Thangaswamy of the NJ Youth ChalleNGe Academy on being accepted to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte!
Cadet Thangaswamy has shown true dedication to academics throughout the program and recently earned an impressive score of 97 on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB).
He is an outstanding Cadet who helps tutors his peers, shows leadership, and is always there for his platoon. We are proud of this outstanding achievement and excited to see all that lies ahead!
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Peter Espeut
Division Director, NGTC
Peter Espeut serves as the Division Director and Superintendent of the National Guard Training Center in Sea Girt, New Jersey. He joined the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMAVA) on Juneteenth 2023, bringing with him a career that spans across military service, corporate leadership, and state government.
Espeut is the first in his family to serve in the U.S. military. He began his career in Army intelligence before transitioning to the corporate sector, holding human resources roles at AT&T and NJM. He later entered state government, serving as Deputy Director of Banking and Insurance before assuming his current leadership role at Sea Girt.
At the National Guard Training Center, Mr. Espeut said that no two days look the same. His responsibilities range from overseeing building maintenance, to managing major events like the Officer Candidate School graduations and leading the facility's operations. One of his most important responsibilities includes directing the State of New Jersey's annual Military Review, a more than 130‑year tradition in which the Governor, as commander in chief, reviews our state's troops.
Espeut’s leadership philosophy focuses on what he calls “radical customer service.” His approach is straightforward: exceed expectations and ensure every customer leaves with a positive experience. He credits this mindset to his military background, where mission and people come before bureaucracy. Beyond operations, he is committed to mentoring others, helping them build the skills and confidence needed to advance in their careers. Colleagues know him as someone who consistently advocates for the underdog and goes the extra mile to support others.
Outside of his professional life, Mr. Espeut is an avid amateur photographer and a music enthusiast. While he enjoys all genres, reggae tops his list, followed by jazz, Motown, and gospel. He emphasizes the importance of having an outstanding team at Sea Girt and believes in working hard, playing hard, and keeping a sense of fun in the workplace. A mindset he says that helps build a solid foundation for future success. |
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 | USDA APHIS
In early May, wildlife biologists from USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, as part of a three-day FAA approved advanced airport training course, visited the 177th Fighter Wing and got to learn about one of the beneficiaries of their work of protecting aviation operations.
The group of 35 biologists, coordinators, supervisors, managers, and directors, who work with or on civil or military airfields across the U.S., met with 177th Fighter Wing leadership before viewing an F-16C static display and a General Electric F110 afterburning turbofan engine display.
It was our pleasure having you visit our Wing. We truly appreciate what you do to help keep aviation safe! |
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 | Somerset Patriots
Brig. Gen. Mays threw out the ceremonial first pitch and spoke to the crowd at the Somerset Patriots Military Appreciation game at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, NJ on May 17, 2026.
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New Jersey Fallen Heroes Memorial | In Honor of all those from New Jersey who gave their lives in the fight against terrorism during Operation Enduring Freedom & Iraqi Freedom.
In humble gratitude, we remember their sacrifice. | Memorial Inscription
"But on the battlefield their feet stood fast, and in an instant at the height of their fortune, they passed away from the scene, not of their fear, but of their glory." ~ Pericles |
| NJ Fallen Heroes Memorial |
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Wars of America in Newark's Military Park |
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| May 14, 1918 |
Trenton native Private Needham Roberts, an African-American soldier serving with the segregated 369th Infantry Regiment of the New York National Guard, assigned to the French Army, was badly wounded when a post he manned with Sergeant Henry Johnson was attacked by a German patrol. Both men continued to fight with rifles, knives and hand grenades, killing 20 German soldiers, and were awarded the Croix de Guerre by the French army. |
May 21, 1777 | The force under George Washington’s direct command encamped at Morristown reported 7,363 officers and men “fit for duty and on duty.” Arms and ammunition were arriving in large quantities from France, including 19,000 muskets and 1,000 barrels of gunpowder during the month of March alone. |
May 26, 1668 | The first New Jersey Assembly met in Elizabethtown, with fourteen members from East New Jersey and two from West New Jersey. During a five day session, the body passed militia legislation requiring men between the ages of sixteen and sixty to train for “at least four days in the year.” |
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May 26, 1886 |
The Gettysburg battlefield monument to the Twelfth New Jersey Infantry was dedicated on Cemetery Ridge. Marked “buck and ball” to commemorate the combination of buckshot and round balls fired in the regiment’s obsolete yet deadly at short range smoothbore muskets, it was the first New Jersey monument erected at Gettysburg and was privately funded by veterans of the regiment. |
May 30, 1924 | A sixty-five-foot obelisk was dedicated to commemorate Bergen County’s Camp Merritt, the troops who passed through there during World War I and, most importantly, the fifteen officers, four nurses, 558 enlisted men and one civilian who died, mostly from influenza, while serving their county there. |
May 31, 1926 | Famed sculptor Gutzon Borglum’s massive bronze Wars of America statue, representing every conflict the United States participated in from the Revolution to World War I and composed of figures of forty-two humans and two horses, was unveiled in Newark’s Military Park.
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 | We Are Hiring!
At the New Jersey Department of Military Affairs we take our work in support of Servicemembers and their families very seriously. The Department provides valuable services and can offer rewarding career opportunities to members of the public.
In addition, we have job openings for members of our military to serve in AGR and Federal Technician roles.
Subscribe to the MilVets Jobs Bulletin to stay updated on job openings.
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We hope you enjoy receiving our newsletter and find it both educational and engaging. If you have questions about our department, please visit our website at military.nj.gov to get contact information. |
| Contact DMA |
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Please email us at outreach@dma.nj.gov with feedback and comments regarding the newsletter. If you would like to contribute with an item of interest to our subscribers, please email us your proposal. |
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military.nj.gov NJ Department of Military Affairs 101 Eggerts Crossing Road
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
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Disclaimer: The appearance of any non-DMA information or hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement of the products or services on the part of the NJ Department of Military Affairs. |
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