America Supports You: Mayor Asks Counterparts to Support Guard, Reserve
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
(WASHINGTON DC) – The mayor of Anchorage, Alaska, has asked his fellow mayors around the nation to publicly declare their support for their military employees.
Today, more than ever, we must do everything we can to support our emplo
yees who are also serving our nation through the Guard and reserve,” Mayor Mark Begich said. “It is incumbent on every employer to give all the support possible to these brave servicemen and women.
“That’s why I have reached out to my fellow mayors and asked them to join me in signing an [Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve] Statement of Support,” he added.
ESGR, a Defense Department organization, works to promote understanding between employers and their military employees. It provides volunteers who offer mediation and education services to employers, Guard and reserve members and their families regarding the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act.
“When mayors sign a Statement of Support, they recognize National Guard and reserve as essential to the strength of our nation and the well-being of their communities,” Begich said in his letter to more than 1,300 members of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
A statement of support pledges to:
- Fully recognize, honor and enforce USERRA;
- Provide managers and supervisors with the tools they need to effectively manage employees who serve in the National Guard and reserves; and
- Continually recognize and support the country’s servicemembers and their families in peace, in crises and in war.
The Anchorage mayor also heads the Conference of Mayors’ Military and Community Relations Task Force. Through this task force, he hopes some of Anchorage’s best practices can assist other mayors in improving their respective cities’ interactions with the military, said C.W. Floyd, Begich’s military and veterans liaison.
Begich has long understood the importance of his military employees, Floyd said. In fact, more than 12,000 servicemembers stationed in Anchorage have recognized the city as a “benchmark city” for its support of their missions, he said.
