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When the end of the draft was initially anticipated in the early 1970’s, defense planners foresaw a potential problem
with the nation's Reserve servicemembers and their civilian employers. Long accustomed to National Guard and Reserve membership
as an alternative to compulsory Active duty service, it was believed that employers might question the necessity of service in
a purely voluntary military system. The planners concluded that some employers might not be supportive of their workers serving
voluntarily in uniform.
The Department of Defense chartered the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) over 28 years
ago to:
- Inform employers of the ever-increasing importance of the National Guard and Reserve.
- Explain the necessity for and role of these forces in national defense.
Originally consisting of a small, select, volunteer panel of distinguished Americans representing business, government, labor,
and military, they directed most of their efforts at their peers. It soon became apparent that this purely top-level effort was
insufficient.
Throughout the years, studies showed that nearly a third of the men and women surveyed about why they were leaving the National
Guard and Reserve still indicated "employment conflict" as the source of their problems.
Identifying the need to expand its outreach, the national ESGR leadership established a nationwide network of
local employer support volunteers, organized in ESGR Committees within each state, the District of
Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. In this way, ESGR could bring the message to all employers, large and small,
in cities, towns, and rural areas.
Today, nearly 2,500 volunteer executives, senior government representatives, educators, and military personnel serve
on local Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Committees. With help and resources from the National ESGR Headquarters
in Arlington, Virginia, the 56 ESGR Committees conduct employer support programs, including
Ombudsmen Services, and recognition of
employers whose policies support or encourage participation in the National Guard and Reserve. By explaining the
missions of the National Guard and Reserve and by increasing public awareness of the role of the employer, they develop
a dialogue among employers, the ESGR Committees, and local National Guard and Reserve unit commanders and members.
ESGR Committee members also provide information to the National Chair on specific problems. This information helps point out
regional or national trends that affect recruiting, retenion and training of the National Guard and Reserve.
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