(Irvine, California) The Southern California Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) recently joined forces with the Fraternal Order of Police‘s (FOP) California State Lodges to pledge their support for the 1.3 million men and women serving in the United States Armed Forces Guard and Reserve.

The Fraternal Order of Police is the largest police organization in the United States consisting of over 327,000 members and 2,100 lodges nationwide, with 20 of those lodges and over 9,000 FOP members located in California. 

Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) is a Department of Defense agency that seeks to develop and promote a culture in which all American employers support and value the military service of their employees by recognizing outstanding support, increasing awareness of the law and resolving conflicts through mediation.

The FOP has many important missions, but one of their primary focuses is the quality of the working conditions and proper benefits for its members.  It is this steadfast commitment to the care and treatment of the law enforcement community that first brought the FOP to ESGR’s attention.  Mr. Tom Bullock, Chief of Employer Outreach for ESGR contacted Mr. Chuck Canterbury, the National President of the FOP, and invited him to team with ESGR to further develop and promote a positive culture in which all American employers support and value the military service of their Guard and Reserve employees. 

Mr. Canterbury, having personal knowledge of the many serious challenges today’s Guard and Reserve members face following the unprecedented large-scale mobilizations following the terrorist attacks of 9/11, immediately accepted ESGR’s invitation.  Mr. Canterbury agreed to sign an ESGR Statement of Support (SoS), a symbolic document that publicly states an employer’s willingness to not only abide by the laws that protect  all Guard and Reservists, but to eagerly support their employees that are serving in the Guard and Reserve.  Mr. Canterbury further stated that he would challenge all 2,100 FOP lodges nationwide to do the same.

Following up on Mr. Canterbury’s commitment, the Southern California ESGR's Chair and Vice Chair, Major Generals (Ret.) Peter Gravett and James Comstock worked closely with the FOP’s California President, Mr. Roger Mayberry, to not only have him sign an SOS representing the state, but further arranged for a mass SOS signing ceremony of all 20 California FOP lodges.

At the California State FOP 16th Biennial Conference, following closely behind a moving presentation by Ms. Elaine Chao, U.S. Secretary of Labor, ESGR staff members Dennis DeNoi and Larry Gonzales, volunteers David and Claudia Van Holt, and Cheryl DeNoi joined Colonel Jane Anderholt, the Deputy Commander, Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base as she took center stage to made a presentation about ESGR and the new role of today’s Guard and Reserve to the estimated 180 members of the FOP present at the conference.  At the conclusion of Col. Anderholt’s presentation, the FOP National President, Mr. Canterbury, made a very dynamic and personal testimonial of the power and effectiveness of ESGR's programs in support of our brave men and women serving our Nation. At that time, Mr. Mayberry put forth a motion to have each and every FOP lodge in the state of California sign a SOS immediately following the acceptance and vote of his motion.  The motion was unanimously approved and the presidents of all twenty California FOP lodges ascended on the podium to a standing ovation, by the filled to capacity conference hall, for a mass SOS signing.

This historic and dramatic Statement of Support signing by the full body of the California FOP will, no doubt, help to ensure that each and every FOP lodge across our great Nation signs their own SOS during the coming year. 

Through this bold move, the FOP has not only established itself as a leading force in obtaining and maintain proper benefits for all members of the law enforcement community, it has further committed to champion the continuity of these benefits for those members of law enforcement that also serve their Nation as members of the United States Armed Forces Guard and Reserve.

More information about ESGR Employer Outreach Programs and volunteer opportunities is available at www.esgr.mil, or by calling the Southern California Committee for ESGR at 562-936-1746.