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Welcome to Colorado ESGR. Our purpose is to have an informative newsletter that will educate, inform, and promote service by and to ESGR while fulfilling our mission of supporting Employers, Guard/Reserve members, Military and Veteran Employment Initiatives and our COESGR Volunteers.
We are trying very hard to work with more employers and are achieving some success. We want those employers to not only support and value the employment and military service of the National Guard and Reserve in the United States, but to realize and utilize the employment services available to them from governmental entities that they are already funding through their taxes which will reduce their costs in hiring and retaining employees. So through individual contacts with more of our Colorado employers, through our MVEEs, through our meetings with the BOSS program and our BOSSLIFTs, through our Awards Banquet and other employer meetings, through our growing efforts of publicizing our efforts, through continuing to expand our reach throughout the state by having ESGR Area Chairs now in some 11 localities (and soon to grow to 13), and through the dedicated and substantial efforts of our ESGR Volunteers, we continue to make real progress here in Colorado. To your employers, thank you working with us, for supporting our efforts, and for realizing the value that our military service members bring to your workplace. So for all our ESGR Volunteers, a most sincere thank you. You can take full credit for the advances we have and are making. Dick Young, RADM, USN (Ret) Chairman, Colorado State Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve
WASHINGTON Two years ago, the civilian employment situation for members of the National Guard and reserve was bleak. The economy had taken a downturn, causing unemployment rates nationwide to rise, including rates for veterans. But particularly troubling to Ronald Young, executive director of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, was that unemployment among reserve component members hit a record high of 13 percent in 2011. It was higher than for the general population and almost double that of the veteran population, Young said. So we took a very aggressive approach to instituting employment initiative programs across the country to get at that challenge. The cornerstone of that effort was the Hero 2 Hired program, created to make it easy for reserve-component service members to connect to and find jobs with military-friendly companies. We put together a comprehensive program that used a very high -tech approach, Young said, including online career exploration tools, military-to-civilian skills translations, education and training resources and even a mobile app. To support the program, 56 employment transition coordinators, many of them ESGR volunteers, fanned out to every corner of the United States to provide career counseling and resume assistance to job-seekers and to interface with employers seeking to fill positions. We saw this as an opportunity to leverage the 4,900 ESGR volunteers and their day -to-day interface with employers to talk about what great business sense it makes to employ Guard and reserve members, Young said. In addition, a vehicle known as the Hero 2 Hired mobile job store regularly rolls into career fairs and other venues to deliver the job search resources where its easily accessible by the military community. Small kiosks that rotate between Guard and reserve units also help increase awareness of the program. Guard and reserve members make great employees, Young said. Theyre strong leaders and outstanding followers, exhibiting loyalty, dedication and motivation to their missions. They demonstrate other attributes that employers are clamoring for: professionalism, responsibility, punctuality, a can -do attitude, understanding of diversity and an ability to remain calm under pressure, among them. But when Young met with corporate leaders during a Clinton Global Initiative session in 2011, he recognized that employers didnt know how to tap into this potential. Across the board, the one thing they said was, We want to hire them. We just dont know how to get access to them, he said. Two years since its standup, Hero 2 Hired is helping to bridge that gap. Almost 20,000 employers now post their job announcements on the Hero 2 Hired jobs website. The site, which 151,000 service members and their spouses now use, provides not only leads about job openings but also information about interview skills, resume templates and links to employment resources. Young attributes more than 11,000 hires to the program. In addition, through Hero 2 Hire's partnership with the Joining Forces initiative led by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, and other public- and private-sector job programs, he estimates that 100,000 reserve component members and veterans have landed jobs. This is a way to link together those looking for jobs and those looking to fill jobs with veterans and Guard and reserve members, Young said. We are just one of the contributing partners working at attacking this particular issue. But we believe we are having a definite impact.
http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=121240 3 3
Click here to connect to employment opportunities.
A recent DOD survey of Guard and reserve members revealed that their unemployment rate had dropped 2 percent, Young reported. So this is trending in the right direction, and our hope is that it will continue going that way, he said. But the best measure of success, he said, are the testimonials of those who have benefitted directly from the program. A 23-year old Air National Guard member was desperate for a job -- any job -- when he met with Employment Transition Coordinator Joe Fletcher. The airman had been living in his car for the previous three days to help save money for gas to return home after a drill weekend. He acknowledged during his meeting with Fletcher that he didnt have a resume or knew how to pursue a job interview. Fletcher helped him create a resume that highlighted his skills in welding and operating heavy equipment and helped him prepare for an interview. It didnt take long for the airman to land a job that paid $30 an hour. A former airmen who started using the Hero 2 Hired job website before separating from the military said it worked better than any other employment site he had tried. As a result, he landed a position as a shift maintenance supervisor for a commercial airline with a starting date just six days after leaving the military. A Louisiana National Guardsman said Hero 2 Hired helped him get in contact with several companies of varying sizes, getting interview opportunities and several job offers. Sue Wegner, wife of Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Ralph Wegner, credited the program with helping her obtain a job as a laboratory test specialist. You helped me with rewriting my resume in a more employer-friendly way, along with helping with interview tips, she said. Thanks to you, I had great success. Within two weeks of leaving you, I had two job interviews, and a week later I had job offers from [two] companies! (Follow Donna Miles on Twitter: @MilesAFPS)
F O L L O W T H E S E L I N K S T O L E A R N M O R E A B O U T T H E L AW:
USERRA: 38 United States Code Chapter 4301-4335 20 Code of Federal Regulations Part 1002 5 Code of Federal Regulations Part 353 (USERRA) Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994; Final Rules Additional regulations for Federal Agencies
Non Technical Guide to USERRA US Department of Labor Veterans Employment and Training Service Department of Justice Office of Special Council
US Department of Education: USERRA like protection for students in the military
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Enstrom Candies of Grand Junction was recognized recently with a Statement of Support in recognition of their support of military service members and their families. The staff has been very generous with their products and programs to benefit service members who have been deployed overseas, said Dea Bridges, a volunteer with Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, who presented the award. Enstrom was previously recognized by military commands in Afghanistan for its generosity, Bridges said.
Pictured left to right, Dea Bridges, ESGR volunteer, Darla Fortner, Human Resources Director, Jamee Simons, Secretary-treasurer, and Doug Simons, President. Photo courtesy of the Grand Junction Daily
Sentinel.
Colorado ESGR volunteer and Area Chair for the Pueblo area, Harry Vogel, presented to April Lopez, Director of Volunteer Services, Frontier Hospice in Pueblo with a Statement of Support
Frontier Hospice & Frontier Home Health
Steve Wilbur, GM of Toy Car Care, receives a SoS from Military Outreach Coordinator Mark Craig. Steve has a life time affiliation with the military being raised by a WWII veteran and Steves son has served in the Marine Corps. One of Steves employees served in the Army National Guard as a helicopter mechanic. When talking with Steve it is very evident that he understands and appreciates the sacrifices military members and their families make in support of us all.
H O W Y O U R C O M P AN Y C AN B E C O M E A F R E E D O M A W AR D R E C I P I E N T
Tom Bullock, Chief, Employer & Military Outreach at Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR)
The Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award is the highest award bestowed by the U.S. Government to employers for exceptional support of their employees who serve in the National Guard or Reserve. Encourage your employees currently serving, or a family member acting on their behalf, to nominate your company at www.freedomaward.mil. The nomination season closes at midnight on January 20, 2014. NORAD Tracks Santa Program breaks record PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (12/27/13) - The North American Aerospace Defense Command's NORAD Tracks Santa Program exceeded its own records in the number of calls, emails and social media followers this year. The program, which began after a misprinted ad in a local paper in 1955, has more than 1,200 volunteers and NORAD staff answering queries on the location of Santa Claus as he circles the globe delivering presents. The volunteers in the 23-hour NTS operations center answered 117,371 calls from children looking for Santa Claus - an increase of nearly 3 percent from 2012. Military family members and community leaders volunteered their time to answer phone calls as well as 9,606 emails, exceeding last year's count. The first lady, Michelle Obama, also helped answer NORAD Tracks Santa calls for the fourth year in a row. The NTS website, www.noradsanta.org, had 19.58 million unique visitors access the site from 234 countries and territories across the globe. The Facebook page topped 1.45 million "Likes", and the NTS Google+ page had 41,676 fans. More than 146,307 people also followed Santa's progress on Twitter. Nearly 800 OnStar subscribers asked OnStar operators to locate Santa on Dec. 24, which is nearly 150% more than last year. The NTS site, featuring Bing and Cesium maps and other interactive games, also offered photos, videos and lots of fun facts about Santa and his reindeer throughout the month of December . "Throughout the year the men and women of NORAD work hard to provide aerospace security for North America, but for this one night every year, we are able to help bring the magic of Christmas to children around the world," said Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, NORAD's public affairs director."We at NORAD are honored to be a part of so many peoples' holiday traditions. Thank you to our many volunteers and corporate 6 contributors for making this program possible, and we look forward to doing it again next year." 6
The Patriot Award is not an employer-wide award, but one that recognizes supervisors and bosses nominated by an employee serving in the National Guard or Reserve for support provided directly to the nominator. The Patriot Award reflects the efforts made to support Citizen Warriors through a wide-range of measures including flexible schedules, time off prior to and after deployment, caring for families and granting leaves of absence if needed.
Irene Trujillo, Supervisor at Mt. San Rafael Hospital in Trinidad was presented with the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Patriot Award by Colorado ESGR volunteer and Area Chair for the Pueblo Area for her outstanding support of military service members, specifically award nominator, Senior Airman Nicolina Martinez, U. S. Air Force Reserve spoke about her supervisorI have been employed at Mt. San Rafael Hospital for five years. Out of those five years, I have been in the Air Force Reserve for three. During these three years, I have had an amazing supervisor. She is highly supportive of my Reserve service. Many times I have had to leave on short notice and she does an outstanding job finding coverage for me and ensuring that my position will be available to me when I return. She has made the schedule flexible around my Air Force Reserve duties. When I am fulfilling my Air Force duties, she ensures to keep in touch with me to positively motivate me and keep up my morale while away from home. I would like to thank Irene Trujillo for always being a positive supporter of the Air Force Reserve and my Air Force career. She is a great woman and supervisor.
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http://co.ng.mil/News/Pages/131223-12days.aspx
2013 Year in Review: CONG statistics in the style of "The Twelve Days of Christmas."
On the first day of Christmas my governor requested of me: 1 massive flood response On the second day of Christmas my governor requested of me: 2 months of road repairs and 1 massive flood response On the third day of Christmas my governor requested of me: 3 thousand-233 people and 1,300 pets evacuated, 2 months of road repairs and 1 massive flood response On the fourth day of Christmas my governor requested of me: 4 wildfire responses, 3 thousand 233 people and 1,300 pets evacuated, 2 months of road repairs, and 1 massive flood response On the fifth day of Christmas my governor requested of me: 5 hundred-fifty-seven water bucket drops on wildfires, 4 wildfire responses, 3 thousand 233 people and 1,300 pets evacuated, 2 months of road repairs, and 1 massive flood response Richard Young Geri Adams On the sixth day of Christmas my governor requested of me: 6ty-seven security check points during the flood, 5 hundred-fifty-seven water bucket drops on wildfires, 4 wildfire responses, 3 thousand 233 people and 1,300 pets evacuated, 2 months of road repairs, and 1 massive flood response On the seventh day of Christmas my governor requested of me: 7-teen lives saved by aerial search-and-rescue (other than floods), 6ty-seven security check points during the flood, 5 hundred-fifty-seven water bucket drops on wildfires, 4 wildfire responses, 3 thousand 233 people and 1,300 pets evacuated, 2 months of road repairs, and 1 massive flood response On the eighth day of Christmas my governor requested of me: 8 states supporting Vigilant Guard, 7-teen lives saved by aerial search-and-rescue (other than floods), 6ty-seven security check points during the flood, 5 hundred-fifty-seven water bucket drops on wildfires, 4 wildfire responses, 3 thousand 233 people and 1,300 pets evacuated, 2 months of road repairs, and 1 massive flood response On the ninth day of Christmas my governor requested of me: 9 countries deployed to with 560 guard members, 8 states supporting Vigilant Guard, 7-teen lives saved by aerial search-and-rescue (other than floods), 6ty-seven security check points during the flood, 5 hundred-fifty-seven water bucket drops on wildfires, 4 wildfire responses, 3 thousand 233 people and 1,300 pets evacuated, 2 months of road repairs, and 1 massive flood response On the tenth day of Christmas my governor requested of me: 10-million-dollar facility in Alamosa, 9 countries deployed to with 560 guard members, 8 states supporting Vigilant Guard, 7-teen lives saved by aerial search-and-rescue (other than floods), 6ty-seven security check points during the flood, 5 hundred-fifty-seven water bucket drops on wildfires, 4 wildfire responses, 3 thousand 233 people and 1,300 pets evacuated, 2 months of road repairs, and 1 massive flood response On the eleventh day of Christmas my governor requested of me: 11 hundred man days supporting floods, 10-million-dollar facility in Alamosa, 9 countries deployed to with 560 guard members, 8 states supporting Vigilant Guard, 7-teen lives saved by aerial search-and-rescue (other than floods), 6ty-seven security check points during the flood, 5 hundred-fifty-seven water bucket drops on wildfires, 4 wildfire responses, 3 thousand 233 people and 1,300 pets evacuated, 2 months of road repairs and 1 massive flood response On the twelfth day of Christmas my governor requested of me: 12 hundred sand bags filled, 11 hundred man days supporting floods, 10-million-dollar facility in Alamosa, 9 countries deployed to with 560 guard members, 8 states supporting Vigilant Guard, 7-teen lives saved by aerial search-and-rescue (other than floods), 6ty-seven security check points during the flood, 5 hundred-fifty-seven water bucket drops on wildfires, 4 wildfire responses, 3 thousand 233 people and 1,300 pets evacuated, 2 months of road repairs, and 1 massive flood response
12/23/2013 8
Dan Lowe
January 2014
Events Calendar
January 14 MVEE Planning Meeting, Colorado Springs January 20 ESGR Freedom Award nomination period closes January 25 Volunteer Initial Training, Colorado National Guard Headqtrs, 6848 S. Revere Pkwy., Centennial, Colo. 80112. Directors Meeting following. February 21-23 Advanced Ombudsman Training, San Antonio
COESGR Business Office 12200 East Briarwood Avenue, Suite 160 Centennial, Co 80112
FAX: 720.250.1199
Military Outreach
Pete CallawayDirector 2014 Recipient
Boulder/Longmont
Brad Gallup
Employer Outreach
Bev Skinner - Co-director Dave Pruett - Co-director EO Coordinator, Major CorporationsMark Saunders
Colorado Springs
Mark Hustedt Mary Miller
Would you like to see your employers name as a recipient of the 2014 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award?
Contact Brent Hamilton, Program Support Technician, for Colorado ESGR to get additional information and assistance in nominating your employer for this prestigious award.
Cortez Area
Robert Valencia
Ombudsmen
Martin Cobb - Director Gary Brown - Dep. Dir.
Denver Area
Bruce Erek Rick White
Training
Lynn Albi Paula Kauffman - Dep. Dir.
Contact info: 720-250-1176 or brent.l.hamilton2.ctr@mail.mil Nomination period is November 1, 2013 to January 20, 2014. Dont delay in nominating your employer.
Special Programs
Fritz Ihrig
Public Affairs
Sherma Erholm - Director
Grand Junction
Lou Brackett David Popham
Employer Initiatives
Zach Jacobsen - Co-Director
National Site News and Information Join Facebook and Twitter Become a fan of Colorado ESGR
Pueblo
Harry Vogel
Steamboat Springs
Jim Stanko
H2H.jobs www.H2H.jobs
H2H offers valuable resources for Service members by way of hiring fairs, job training, career assessment and military skills translation.
COESGR
Colorados ESGR Electronic Newsletter is published not only for the information and benefit of the members of the Colorado ESGR but most importantly to our Guard and Reserve members and their employers. The contents of this newsletter highlight activities and events conducted by Colorado ESGR. Send comments regarding this publication to the Newsletter Editor: James Garrett at coloradoesgr@yahoo.com 9 9