ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION

OF

THE DEPUTY U.S. MARSHALS ASSOCIATION, INC.

TO: Secretary of State

State of West Virginia

We, the undersigned natural persons of the age of twenty-one years or more, all of whom are citizens of the United States, acting as incorporators of a nonprofit corporation, adopt the following Articles of Incorporation for such corporation pursuant to the West Virginia Code, Chapter 31, Section 1.

ARTICLE I - NAME

The name of the Corporation is the Deputy U.S. Marshals Association (the "Association"), a nongovernmental organization, formed exclusively for operational U.S. Marshals Service personnel including, but not limited to, Deputy U.S. Marshals, Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshals, Chief Deputy U.S. Marshals, U.S. Marshals who have previously served as Deputy U.S. Marshals, U.S. Marshals Service Headquarters personnel who are sworn Deputy U.S. Marshals, and those aforementioned operational personnel who have retired or left the U.S. Marshals Service under honorable terms. Upon any question of membership eligibility, the Deputy U.S. Marshals Association's Board of Directors shall make the final decision.

ARTICLE II - DURATION

The period of duration of the Association shall be perpetual.

ARTICLE III - PURPOSES AND OBJECTIVES

The objectives and purposes for which the corporation is organized shall include but not be limited to one or more of the following or similar purposes:

(a) To promote and encourage public awareness and support for the duties and responsibilities of Deputy U.S. Marshals;

(b) To increase the qualifications, professionalism, and prestige of the position of U.S. Marshal. Our eventual goal will be to select the U.S. Marshals from the professional men and women within our agency;

(c) To advance and safeguard the careers, economic interests, conditions of employment and welfare of Deputy U.S. Marshals, in part by providing legal advice and counsel as specified in the Bylaws, and to foster among Deputy U.S. Marshals and their families open communication, cooperation, and an esprit de corps;

(d) To establish and maintain an effective legislative liaison to keep Deputy U.S. Marshals informed of proposed legislation and its impact upon us and work to further the goals of this Association by appropriate nonpartisan legislative activity.

(e) To work toward improving the pay and benefits of Deputy U.S. Marshals to equal those of other federal law enforcement officers.

(f) To help in establishing a truly objective, merit-based promotional system within the U.S. Marshals Service; and

(g) To carry on any other lawful activities that will fulfill the above purposes and objectives.

ARTICLE IV - GENERAL POWERS

The Association, in furtherance of and not in limitation of all the powers conferred upon corporations formed pursuant to the West Virginia Code Chapter 31, Section 1, shall have the power to do everything and anything lawfully necessary, proper, suitable or convenient for the achievement of the purposes stated above or incidental thereto or for any of them, or for the furtherance of the said purposes, and generally, to exercise and enjoy all the rights, powers and privileges now or hereafter granted to nonprofit corporations by the State of West Virginia, and any other rights, powers and privileges now or hereafter granted to such corporations by law.

ARTICLE V - MEMBERS

The Association shall have Regular, and may have, Associate and Honorary members, as provided in the Bylaws. Regular members shall have the right to vote for officers of the Chapters to which they belong, as further specified in the Bylaws.

ARTICLE VI - PROHIBITIONS

The Association is a nonprofit organization, and no part of its net earnings, principal or assets shall inure to the individual benefit of any director, officer, employee, or member of the Association or of any other agency or individual other than through payments of any benefit, including representation, which may be provided to or for the members of the Association from time to time, pursuant to legal representation or other activities, plans or programs established in accordance with procedures set out in the Bylaws; provided however, that this shall not prevent the payment of reasonable authorized expenses, incurred on behalf of the Association, to any member, director, officer or employee.

Never shall the Association engage in any activities that are unlawful under the laws of the United States of America, the State of West Virginia, or under any laws in any jurisdiction where its activities are conducted or to which these activities are subject.

ARTICLE VII - BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The affairs of the Association shall be managed by a Board of Directors to be known as The National Executive Board and to be elected in the manner provided by the Bylaws. The interim Board of Directors shall serve until their successors are elected and have qualified according to procedures set forth in the Bylaws. The names and addresses of the members of the interim National Executive Board are as follows:

Name Address

John D. Gainer 138 Candlewyck Drive Hurricane, West Virginia 25312

Carl (Rick) Nelson 1418 McClelland Avenue Marquette, Michigan 49855

David Harlow 3235 Pepper Ridge Drive Maumee, Ohio 43537

Mark A. Tracy HC 86 Box 15 Looneyville, West Virginia 25259

ARTICLE VIII - BYLAWS

Provisions for the regulation of the internal affairs of the

Association, except as provided in these Articles of Incorporation, shall be determined and fixed as provided in the Bylaws. The same may be adopted and amended from time to time by the National Executive Board. Any inconsistencies between the bylaws and Articles of Incorporation will be resolved in favor of the Articles of Incorporation.

ARTICLE IX - AMENDMENTS

The National Executive Board may amend the Articles of Incorporation by adopting proposed resolutions. The Board will then submit the proposed amendment(s) for approval at any meeting of the membership. Such amendments must be described in the notice of meeting. Approval of all amendments requires a two-thirds majority of the members entitled to vote, as further specified in the Bylaws.

ARTICLE X - DISSOLUTION

Upon the termination, dissolution, or winding up of the Association in any manner or for any reason, its assets, if any remaining after payment of liabilities of the Association, shall be distributed to one or more nonprofit organizations having purposes and objectives consistent with those of the Association. Distribution of the assets of the Association will be at the discretion of the National Executive Board and their decision will be final.

ARTICLE XI - REGISTERED AGENT

The name and address of the person who prepared these Articles of Incorporation and the name of its initial registered agent at such address is:

John D. Gainer

C/O The Deputy U.S. Marshals Association

P.O. Box 75121

Charleston, West Virginia 25375