The Southern California Committee of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) is a Department Defense agency that seeks to develop and promote a culture in which all American employers support and value the military service of their employees serving in the Guard and Reserve.  Our goal is to support these patriotic employers who share their most valuable resource, their employees, with the Nation to ensure our Country’s national security.

The ESGR’s mission is to gain and maintain employer support for Guard and Reserve service by recognizing outstanding employer support, increasing awareness of the Federal law Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act (USERRA), and resolving employment conflicts through mediation.  We provide free employer education, consultation, and if necessary, employment mediation for employers of Guard and Reservists.

The Southern California ESGR committee is comprised of three full-time staff members and over 150 volunteers.  Two of the staff members; Mr. Dennis DeNoi and Ms. Tatyana Alvarez are headquartered on the Joint Forces Training Base, Los Alamitos in Building 15, Room 145.  Mr. DeNoi is the Executive Director and Ms. Alvarez is the Assistant Program Specialist/Office Manager and they can be reached by calling (562) 936-1746 or by emailing Ms. Alvarez at tatyana.alvarez@us.army.mil.   The other staff member, Sam Giovinazzi works out of the San Diego area and assists the large population of Guard, Reservists and employers throughout the greater San Diego area.  He is also responsible for scheduling unit and family briefings amongst other responsibilities and can also be reached directly at (858) 414-8727 or through the Los Alamitos office. The committee is headed by Major General Peter Gravett (Retired) who is the Southern California State Chair.  General Gravett is the former Commanding General of the California Army National Guard, 40th Infantry Division which is also headquartered at JFTB Los Alamitos.  The ESGR, although a Department of Defense agency, it is mostly comprised of a about 4,500 very diverse, motivated and dedicated volunteers Nationwide who put in countless hours of their time providing pre and post mobilization briefings, conducting employer and military outreach programs  and if necessary, performing mediation through our Ombudsman program.

Following 9/11, the ESGR’s mission has never been more vital, with almost one half of the United States Armed Forces being comprised of members of the Guard and Reserve.  These 1.3 million Guard and Reserve members are unique in that they also have civilian employers and maintain dual careers.  If we can be of any assistance to you, as an employer or a member of the Guard or Reserve, please don’t hesitate to call or visit our office the Joint Forces Training Base, Los Alamitos or by visiting our National website: www.esgr.mil.  The website can assist you with questions regarding the USERRA law; you can recognize your employer with an award for outstanding support or join our organization as a volunteer-won’t you join us in supporting our brave men and women who serve our country in order to maintain our freedom?