By Staff Sgt. MATT BENEDETTI and Airman 1st Class TAMMY MIDWOOD, 104th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SAVANNAH, Ga. – Employers of Airmen from the 104th Fighter Wing, Barnes Air National Guard Base, Westfield, Massachusetts, and members of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) observed training conducted at the Air Dominance Center in Savannah, Georgia, a simulated deployed environment, during exercise ATLANTIC SPEAR, Aug. 20-22, 2015.
The mission of ESGR is to support National Guard members by raising awareness of the laws that protect their rights as employees while they are deployed. In addition, the ESGR facilitates the resolution of any conflict that may arise between the employer and the employee through informal mediation. Given that the Guard and reserves comprise nearly half of our military’s force structure, it is more important than ever to have supportive employers.
The Massachusetts ESGR/Civilian Employer visit to Savannah is part of a larger initiative designed to bring influential employers and community leaders to military installations to personally witness the vital duties performed by Guardsmen in their military roles.
The group traveled from Westfield, Massachusetts on a KC-135 Stratotanker, and had an opportunity to view the airborne refueling of F-15 Eagles while enroute. Once in Savannah, the group was given a tour of the Air Dominance Center, attended multiple briefings, viewed a 104th F-15 Eagle on the flight line, watched a take-off, as well as visit the 8th Air Force Museum.
Keefe appreciated the visit by ESGR personnel and civilian employers. “It’s nice to have employers come down and see what their employees do –60 percent of the unit is comprised of part timers,” said Keefe. “This visit gives them an idea of the sacrifices they make and the outcomes we get from drill status guardsmen. The Maintenance guys are out here in the heat… We are providing combat training for our pilots-operating in a pretty hot environment. This isn’t a vacation, it’s training.”
Joan Shea, a Human Resources Supervisor with UPS, found the visit to be instructive. In 2014, UPS launched an initiative to hire 50,000 veterans and have already hired 39,000.
“This visit certainly gives me a better appreciation for what our folks are doing during the drill weekends and training exercises,” said Shea.
Shea has been involved with ESGR since 9/11.
“We keep learning what is required of our guardsmen and it opens my eyes to the fact that through this training they are helping defend our country. In the event that we are called to war, this training provides a knowledge base to allow them to ready,” she added.
