Purpose: The official name of the retired officer association for the State of Mississippi is the “Committee on Continuity”, however, the group is commonly known as the “At Ease Gang”. The At Ease Gang is made up of retirees from the Mississippi National Guard who want to support and serve our military families and communities. The motto clearly states their intent- “Stacked but Loaded, At Ease but Ready”. The members of the At Ease Gang pray for our Service members and their families and strive to assist them in their ongoing service to our nation. The At Ease Gangs specifically support those less fortunate through their monetary contributions and general support to the Palmer Children’s Home in Columbus, Mississippi. COL (Ret.) Annie Spencer currently chairs this effort.
The At Ease Gang not only attends their monthly meetings and the state and national conferences but also participate in the Adjutant General’s annual Retiree Day at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. Retiree Day is normally held in the middle of May and allows the Adjutant General and his staff to brief the retirees on the most recent developments in the national guard and enjoy fellowship with those that have served.
We thank you for visiting our web page and invite you to become active in a chapter near you. Information on each chapter can be found on their respective drop downs. Additional information may also be gained by contacting your retiree representatives COL David Barton (Army Representative) and Brig Gen David Kirtley (Air Representative).
History: MG (Ret.) Harry Dalton started a group in 1973 of retired officers meeting for breakfast in Jackson. In 1980, BG (Ret.) Bud Moore became the chairman of the group and provided the name, “At Ease Gang” for the statewide association of retired Army and Air National Guard officers. Charlie Morris designed the crest for organization. At the top and bottom of the crest, portions of magnolia leaves are visible, representing the State of Mississippi’s state flower. A scroll near the top of the crest reads, “RETIRED OFFICERS, MISSISSIPPI NATIONAL GUARD.” The center of the crest has an eagle, symbolic of the United States imposed over two “DD’s representing the service the State provided from 1923 to 1968 to the 31st Infantry “Dixie” Division including service during World War II and Korea. Some of the Regiments that comprised the “Dixie” Division date back to 1798. At the base of the crest, three rifles are stack-arms with a scroll with the motto that reads, “STACKED BUT LOADED, AT EASE BUT READY”. There are groups (Army and Air) that meet monthly across the state. Mississippi has the largest number (1006 members) of officer retirees that belong to the National Guard Association of the United States. The next closest State has only 300 plus members. The AT Ease Gang meets once a year at various locations throughout the state as a part of the Annual National Guard Conference. The AT Ease Gang is proud of their Communities, State, and Country. As the old saying goes, “Freedom is not free. It is written like it was in the sand and unless we retrace it in blood it will be washed away.” God bless and protect our service personnel.
Chronological History of the Mississippi National Guard At Ease Gang Chairman:
MG (Ret.) Harry Dalton (1973 – 1980)
BG (Ret.) Bud Moore (1980 – 1989)
BG (Ret.) Clint Ivey (1989 – 1994)
BG (Ret.) Shelton Weathersby (1994 – 1997)
BG (Ret.) Lawrence Taylor (1997 – 1999)
BG (Ret.) Tip Lewis (1999 – June 2003)
COL (Ret.) Jim Jackson (July 2003 -May 2014)
BG (Ret.) David Kirkley (June 2014-Present)