Digital Subscription Service Expands North Dakota Guard's Ability to Provide Real-Time News and

By Staff Sgt. Amy Wieser WillsonOctober 21, 2010

FARGO, N.D. - A new digital subscription service now provides the <a href="http://www.ndguard.ngb.army.mil">North Dakota National Guard</a> an efficient, cost-effective way of tailoring information to its many audiences. North Dakota became the first state to launch with <a href="http://www.govdelivery.com/">GovDelivery</a> after the <a href="http://www.ng.mil/default.aspx">National Guard Bureau</a> allowed an enterprise pilot to extend the service to 18 states. The Bureau has been using GovDelivery since February 2009.

"In this day and age, more than ever, communication needs to be quick and complete," said Capt. Dan Murphy, North Dakota National Guard public information officer. "While we've always followed Department of Defense policy of 'maximum disclosure, minimum delay,' we continually look for new ways to refine that to reach all of our audiences - Guardsmen, families, employers, community members and elected officials - with up-to-the-minute news and updates specific to their interests and needs."

As part of the system, interested people can digitally subscribe to any or all of more than 25 available topics, ranging from education benefits, family events, retiree information, news, photo and video uploads and more. Signing up is simple: Go to the Guard's website, www.ndguard.ngb.army.mil, and enter an e-mail address in the box with the "E-mail Updates" header. From there, users can click to select the updates to which they would like to subscribe. Periodic bulletins and updates will then be sent via e-mail, and users can unsubscribe at any time.

The new e-mail subscription service supplements a full list of <a href="http://www.ndguard.ngb.army.mil/news/Pages/NDPAWinsArmyCompetition.aspx">award-winning online news and features</a> from the North Dakota National Guard.

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Since the 2001 terrorist attacks on America, the North Dakota National Guard has mobilized more than 3,500 Soldiers and more than 1,800 Airmen in support of the Global War on Terrorism. Currently, about 75 North Dakota Guardsmen are serving overseas while more than 4,000 remain in the state for emergency response and national defense. For every 10,000 citizens in North Dakota, 65 serve in the North Dakota National Guard, a rate that's more than four times the national average.