Registered nurse exchanges patient care for cargo care while deployed overseas

Courtesy Photo | SOUTHWEST ASIA - U.S. Air Force Reservist Master Sgt. Mark Avery is currently deployed here in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). He is a nurse and has worked for Nurse Finders of Hawaii for the past six years. According to Avery, his employer is there for him. 'My employers support my duty to country 110 percent,' he said. 'They helped me get my license renewed while deployed to Iraq which was huge because I could return right back to work when I got back.'  

(UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)

06.06.2006

Courtesy Story

Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve

by Sgt. 1st Class David L. McCrary, ESGR Forward Team

SOUTHWEST ASIA - U.S. Air Force Reservist Master Sgt. Mark Avery is currently deployed here in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), the official name given to military operations from Afghanistan to the Horn of Africa in support of the Global War on Terror.

Avery is grateful for the opportunity to serve overseas again. He volunteered for this deployment as part of OEF because "it was the right thing to do."

Active duty and reserve component members from all branches of the U.S. armed forces are deployed under the U.S. Central Command to support the war against global terrorism outside the borders of the United States. U.S. Central Command is the unified command responsible for U.S. security interests and assets in 27 nations stretching from the Horn of Africa, through the Arabian Gulf region, and into Central Asia.

In Southwest Asia, Avery serves as noncommissioned officer in charge-cargo processing. He manages all aerial port cargo that processes through the base either by air movement (planes) or surface movement (trucks). "It requires that we build pallets to certain specifications based upon the type of movement and destination," he explained. In his civilian position, Avery has worked as a pediatric registered nurse with both Nurse Finders of Hawaii and Attention Plus Care for almost six years.

Today, more than 1.2 million members of the National Guard and Reserve continue to perform an increasing number of unique missions that require extraordinary actions on the part of everyday citizens. Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) is the primary resource for information about the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, commonly known as USERRA. This federal law allows Pool and other mobilized reserve component members to retain their rights, when the deployment concludes.

Established in 1972, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a DoD agency, provides free USERRA education, consultation, and if necessary, mediation for employers of Guard and Reserve employees. The mission of ESGR is to gain and maintain active support from all public and private employers for the men and women of the National Guard and Reserve. More information about ESGR Employer Outreach Programs and volunteer opportunities is available at www.esgr.mil, or by calling the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve at [phone].

According to Avery, his employer is there for him. "My employers support my duty to country 110 percent," he said. "They helped me get my license renewed while deployed to Iraq which was huge because I could return right back to work when I got back."

Avery, who calls Mililani, Hawaii his home is married to Betty and has one daughter. Looking off into the distance, he stated, "I owe a lot to my family and friends for keeping things balanced while I'm away. It makes my transition easier during deployments.

esgr

• Date Taken: 06.06.2006
• Date Posted: 06.06.2006 15:38
• Story ID: 6707
• Location: (UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)