The Illinois Committee for the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) hosted a three-day trip for employers of Guard and Reserve members and community leaders July 27-29.  The trip is known as Bosslift and the destination for 2011 was Colorado Springs.

Chair of Illinois ESGR, Dr. Michael Ayers, welcomed the Bosslift guests at Greater Rockford Airport, Rockford, Ill., where guests were introduced and the Illinois ESGR escorts were identified.  Then, after a briefing by a member of the flight crew, 42 travelers boarded a KC-135 from the Illinois Air National Guard’s 126th Air Refueling Wing and departed for Peterson Air Force Base (AFB).

Joining Illinois ESGR throughout the entire trip was Brig. Gen. James W. Schroeder, Commander of the Illinois Air National Guard.  Brig. Gen. Schroeder is responsible for the command, control, and operation of plans and programs affecting more than 3,000 Illinois Air National Guard Airmen located at Scott AFB, Peoria and Springfield.

While en route to Peterson AFB, participants were invited to explore the aircraft, including a glimpse of the cockpit, and a view of the refueling area of the plane.  Upon landing at Peterson AFB, Bosslift participants were greeted by Maj. Gen. Patrick J. Moisio, who is the Assistant to the Combatant Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM).  U.S. Air Force Maj. Michelle Tarkowski then escorted the group to a briefing at NORAD/NORTHCOM Headquarters.  At the briefing, the Bosslift group was honored to be joined by Lt. Gen. Frank J. Grass, Deputy Commander of NORTHCOM and Vice Commander of NORAD.  Also at the briefing were Maj. Gen. Moisio and Brig. Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson.  This was a very comprehensive briefing which provided an overview of the mission and role of NORTHCOM in conducting homeland defense, and seeking civil support and security cooperation to defend and secure the United States and its interests.  This includes missions with the United States, Canada, and Mexico, as well as components of the Air Guard and National Guard.

After the briefing, the group then headed to Schriever AFB to tour the 6th and 19th Space Operations Squadrons (SOPS).  The 6th SOPS is an Air Force Reserve satellite command and control squadron located at Schriever AFB.  6th SOPS is a backup to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program Operations.  The 19th SOPS supports the launch, sustainment, operations and modernization of the Global Positioning Satellite system satellite constellation, providing highly accurate 24-hour navigation, timing and nuclear detonation information to users worldwide.

At the conclusion of the tours at Schriever AFB, the Bosslift participants were checked in to their lodging on Fort Carson.  Travelers were given an opportunity to rest briefly before departing for a dinner reception at the Elkhorn Conference Center at Ft. Carson.  The reception was marvelous but was made even more memorable with the addition of several special guests.  Lt. Gen. Grass attended our dinner reception along with Maj. Gen. Moisio and his wife Mary, and Brig. Gen. Hokanson and his wife Kelly.  Brig. Gen Schroeder was in attendance along with Lt. Col. Clay Taulman, Officer in Charge, Colorado Army National Guard Premobilization Training and Assistance Element (PTAE).  Kathleen Dorram, the Program Support Manager for Colorado ESGR was on hand to welcome the Illinois Bosslift to Fort Carson.  

Day two of the Bosslift began with another lesson in acronyms; breakfast was served at the Ft. Carson DFAC (dining facility) at 7:00 a.m.  Lt. Col. Taulman joined the group for breakfast and then led the second day’s events with a trip to the “Warrior Skills Trainer.”  This included a Humvee convoy exercise and a visit to Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) and Mountain Post overview.

At the Humvee simulator, participants were invited for a hands-on demonstration of the type of training service members receive from the PTAE.  This convoy training exercise provided a unique insight into the stressors our soldiers are exposed to, and how valuable this training is prior to mobilization. 

After the Humvee Convoy exercise, a briefing was provided on MOUT Site 60 by Lt. Col. Edwin Fiske, Garrison Officer for Fort Carson.  Mike Camp, Range Master for MOUT Site 60 provided a guided tour of the site.  This provided another unique opportunity for the visitors to experience the significant training offered to our fighting forces at Ft. Carson.  The range master also offered an opportunity for participants to experience paint ball gun training used to inject realism into Soldiers’ training experience!

Lunch at the DFAC was next, followed by a visit to Range 159, for a PTAE ground assault demonstration where guests had the opportunity to observe a “live fire shoot house”.  Members of the Colorado National Guard and 10th Special Forces Group provided a demonstration of the training conducted at this unique facility. Once again, the constant companion to the Illinois ESGR group was Lt. Col. Taulman, who added thorough explanations of each component of training presented at these unique facilities.

Breakfast on day three was once again at 7:00 a.m. before the group was off to visit the Humvee Egress Assistance Trainer (HEAT) and a newly-acquired mobile missile launcher being fielded to the Colorado Army Guard.  LTC Taulman was, again, our facilitator for this visit.

On the trip back to Illinois, a refueling mission was conducted with a RC-135, a reconnaissance aircraft from Offutt AFB, Neb., home of U.S. Strategic Command Headquarters. All forty-two Bosslift participants had an opportunity to climb down into refueling bay at the rear of the aircraft and observe the boom operator control the refueling operation.  Guests were able to watch the RC-135 refueling up close, in fact close enough to see the crewmembers’ faces.


Comments from Bosslift participants:

“This was one of the proudest moments of my life to be among the many Soldiers who serve our country. I thank you and ESGR for allowing me the opportunity to travel with you to Colorado and the honor of meeting such heroic Americans. The commitment they have to our freedom and the dedication to their job is inspiring.  It felt wonderful to shake the hands of veteran Soldiers and to thank them personally for their many sacrifices”. 
Captain Richard Kinter
District 19 Commander
Illinois State Police

“I cannot express my appreciation for nominating me and allowing me to attend the Bosslift!  It was a lifetime experience that I will remember forever!”
Phil Miller
Midwest Division Director
Human Resources and Admin.
Vulcan Materials Company

“I was extremely impressed by our Soldiers' professionalism, enthusiasm and concern for our safety and the safety of their team.  I've always been proud of being an American.  I'm just a bit more proud since I spent time with the best we have.  I love the respect each Soldier has for her/his superiors and the respect superiors have for their direct reports.  God bless those who do it for real and for the safety of our country.”
Thomas P. Walters
Manager, State Government Affairs
Caterpillar Inc.

“Thank you for the wonderful experience and the smooth flow of the trip. Besides the tours of the different units, I was very impressed with the fact that Soldiers were thanking US for what WE were doing to support them. I would never have imagined that we would have been thanked for what we were doing as civilians.”
Megan Jones, PHR
Human Resources Consultant
Heartland Regional Medical Center

“What a great experience! It made me proud to see the dedication of all of the young men women in our military.  This tour will always be in mind when it comes to hiring people.  You and your team made this a very smooth comfortable trip. The other participants of our tour were truly a great group people to travel with.”
Malcolm Katt
President, Chelar Tool & Die
Belleville, IL

“I just wanted to say ‘thank you’ again for the opportunity to spend time with you as we learned about the amazing training that our military members receive while they are away from us.  It was one of the most life-changing and eye-opening experiences I have ever had in my professional career.  I am so proud to be an American and an employer that gladly supports our military.”
Sarah Ornberg, PHR
Manager of Benefits and Compensation
Decatur Memorial Hospital

Dr. Michael Ayers and all of the members of Illinois ESGR thank all of the employers for their continuing support of our Guard and Reserve members, and we extend our thanks to the Illinois Air National Guard crew from the 126th Air Refueling Wing at Scott Air Force Base, for a very successful Bosslift!

Article By Michael Holub
Public Affairs Director – IL ESGR