The National Committee for
Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) was established, by
Presidential proclamation, as an operational committee under the Office
of the Secretary of Defense. It is the sole Department of Defense agency
directed to promote public and private understanding of the National Guard
and Reserve in order to gain employer and community support that encourages
employee and citizen participation in the National Guard and Reserve. Today,
ESGR is comprised of a community-based volunteer network of over 4,500 members,
who serve on 54 committees (in every state, the District of Columbia, Guam,
Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands), implementing employer support programs
within their local communities.
Since the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the downfall of Communism in 1989,
the active duty military has been reduced nearly 40 percent, and the Reserve
forces have been reduced nearly 25 percent in expectation of a "peace
dividend." The decision to make this reduction in military forces did
not anticipate that the U.S. would, in fact, maintain its Cold War level
of global military involvement. In order to continue this operations tempo
(OPTEMPO), the military has had to increase its reliance upon the Reserve
forces. Today, in both manpower and force capability, the Reserve Components
comprise nearly half of the Total Force, excluding retirees.
As a result, employers are being asked to sustain a much greater level of
employee absence and related consequences. The complications this "contract"
create for employers are compounded by low unemployment rates, an anticipated
reduction in the national workforce of nearly 15 percent over to next 10-15
years, and a growing reliance by both military and civilian employers on
small segments of the workforce with specific job skills that are in high
demand. The current National Defense Strategy indicates that the National
Guard and Reserve, while decreasing in size, will be full partners in the
fully integrated Total Force. Reserve Forces will spend more time away from
the workplace defending the nation, supporting a demanding operations tempo
and training to maintain their mission readiness.
ESGR Web site. ESGR maintains a web page of information concerning
all of its programs and activities at www.esgr.org. Many local ESGR committees
have also developed web sites to support their ESGR mission. The national
website contains information of interest to employers, Reservists, and committee
members about ESGR programs and activities and USERRA. It lists points of
contact for each ESGR Committee and for the national staff. Reserve Component
members are able to nominate their employers for recognition through the
on-line "My Boss is a Patriot" nomination form. The website also
lists ESGR fact sheets, the Federal statute (USERRA), the current ESGR public
service advertisement, and various links to other web sites, including the
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, the Department
of Labor, the Reserve Components, and other National Guard and Reserve associations.
