Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Chair (ESGR) hosted a “Briefing with the Boss” and luncheon Mar. 21, at the Elks Country Club in Lewisburg.
“The West Virginia ESGR Committee is excited to become more involved in the wonderful community of Lewisburg. The Rotary Club is a great group, 53 members of the club and were beyond excited to learn more about USERRA and what they could do for the service members in their community. We couldn’t have asked for a better crowd,” said WV ESGR State Chairman Dan Lanier.
Since September 11, 2001, more than 860,000 Guard and Reserve service members across the United States have left their families and employers to serve in overseas contingency operations or come to the aid of fellow citizens.
“Specifically, 6,400 are members of the Guard and Reserve in the State of West Virginia, and of that number, 195 are currently deployed away from their loved ones and places of business,” said Lanier. “Many of these deployed Guard and Reserve members serve, work, and live in the Huntington area. The outpouring of support from the home front has been overwhelming. None of this could have been possible without the strong backing from civilian employers of the brave men and women who serve this great nation, and the state of West Virginia.”
ESGR, a Department of Defense (DoD) office, seeks to foster a culture in which all employers support and value the employment and military service of members of the National Guard and Reserve in the United States. ESGR facilitates and promotes a cooperative culture of employer support for National Guard and Reserve service by developing and advocating mutually beneficial initiatives, recognizing outstanding employer support, increasing awareness of applicable laws and policies, resolving potential conflicts between employers and their service members, and acting as the employers’ principal advocate within DoD. Paramount to ESGR’s mission is encouraging employment of Guardsmen and Reservists who bring integrity, global perspective and proven leadership to the civilian workforce.
For more information about ESGR outreach programs or volunteer opportunities, call 1-800-336-4590 or visit www.ESGR.mil.