A group of almost 30 local business leaders spent Thursday at Fort Riley. The Kansas  Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve sponsors the Bosslift in an effort to educate employers about the sacrifices guard and reserve personnel make.

"We found that employers didn't understand why the soldier would come in and say 'I'm leaving for a year,'" said Mick Allen of the Kansas ESGR.

The Bosslift participants were allowed to tour the National Guard  Maintenance and Training Equipment Site (MATES). They also experienced the Bradley Fighting Vehicle simulators, along with a tour of the combat medic training facility.

"It send chills over you. It really does," said Chris Joachims, who is on his first Bosslift. "The stuff they do in these things..."

Steve Owens  is also on his first Bosslift. His son is currently deployed in Afghanistan. He says this experience has, in some ways, put him at ease.

"It gives me a little bit more of a feel for the things he has had to do," Owens said. "It's better then I expected. People who do this care about what they do. The facilities are incredible."

Reporter: Jeff Herndon
KAKE NEWS, WICHITA, KS