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The Air Defense
Artillery Association is a private organization formed in 1980 as
the replacement for a nonappropriated fund activity formed in 1975.
It operates under (1) the provisions of Army Regulation 210-22,
Private organizations on Department of the Army Installations: (2)
IRS Code 501 © 3, tax exempt nonprofit status; and (3) a
Constitution and Bylaws which are periodically examined and
evaluated. All donations to the Association are tax deductible.
The goals of the
Association are to support the Air Defense Artillery soldiers and
retirees, to foster a spirit of unity and esprit de corps among
members of the Branch and to provide both moral and financial
support to the Fort Bliss Museum and Study Center and other programs
of the Museums Division.
The Association has
operated a Gift Shop in the Air Defense Artillery Museum and now
the new Fort Bliss Museum and Study Center since 1983. In addition
to providing support to Museums, proceeds from the Gift Shop have
enabled the Association to:
- Annually
recognize the Non-Commissioned Officers of the Year and the
Soldiers of the Year from each Battalion and Brigade with
appropriate plaques.
- Place a Bronze
Plaque at the base of the flagpole at Memorial Circle, Fort
Bliss, Texas, honoring the Desert Storm soldiers.
- Annually
support the receptions hosted by the Chief of the Branch at the
United States Military Academy and the Command and General Staff
College.
- Annually
provide a plaque for the Chief of Air Defense Artillery to
present to the
Top-ranked United States Military Academy Graduate who selects Air
Defense Artillery as his or her branch of choice.
For these projects
and other awards and gifts, the Association has given a total of
$167,267.42.
The Association has
donated $1,372,995.00 to the Air Defense Artillery and Fort Bliss
Museums for exhibits.
Another program
sponsored by the Association is the Children’s Bicultural Living
History Program. This program has been developed with the El Paso
Independent School District. This program is presented in the Old
Fort Bliss Museum to fourth graders. Costumed volunteer
interpreters present, in historically accurate reproductions of
living history workshops, the living experiences of Fort Bliss in
1857.
The Association
currently has 10,173 Individual Lifetime Members and 134 Corporate
Members.
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