Photo By Senior Master Sgt. Eric Peterson | Employers stand with Montana Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) staff...... read more read more
GREAT FALLS, Mont. - One group of Montana employers got the chance to experience some of what their employees do as members of the Montana National Guard during a flight aboard military helicopters April 19, 2016.
The Montana Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) program organized a Boss Lift event at the Havre airport and briefed employers on how the ESGR program serves employers and guard and reserve personnel. Afterwards, a Montana Army National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk and a CH-47 Chinook helicopter provided the 40 bosses an opportunity to observe guard aircrews in action during training missions over North Central Montana.
The ESGR website states the program exists to promote cooperation between civilian employers and their employees who serve their country as reserve component service members. The program also helps resolve conflicts that may occur between the employer and the service commitment of the military member.
In Montana the ESGR program is far-reaching. It serves the civilian employers and Soldiers and Airmen assigned to 14 Army National Guard armories located across the state, the Joint Forces Headquarters at Fort Harrison, the 120th Airlift Wing in Great Falls and the 219th RED HORSE Squadron at Malmstrom Air Force Base. A staff of three and only 20 volunteers work to build relationships with civilian employers throughout the fourth largest state in the union.
“A boss lift is an event that we can have on behalf of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve where we can bring out Montana’s employers and give them an opportunity to experience what it is their guard members do while they’re on their annual training, their monthly training and when they’re deployed.” said Montana ESGR State Chair Chris Hindoien.
Hindoien also invites employers who may be looking to hire new workers to join the Boss Lift event. This professional networking allows ESGR to help place unemployed guard and reserve members into jobs.
“Another thing we like to do is bring potential employers out,” Hindoien said. “We want them to know there is a dedicated pool of Montana employees out there who are guard and reserve members who are highly trainable, willing to work and very, very motivated.”
Brion Torgerson, an employer who runs an agricultural dealership, said he appreciates the quality of workers he has employed who come to him from the military already possessing strong work ethics.
“The people coming from the Montana National Guard and reserves are really qualified, they’re knowledgeable, they’re intellectual and they’re a great employee base so any way we can support that, we need to do more of,” Torgerson said. “I would definitely recommend that businesses reach out and be proactive in finding out what ESGR does."
Terry Knowlton, the Havre airport manager, employs a retired guardsman at the airport and participated in his first ESGR Boss Lift. He enjoyed the ride he was given in the UH-60 Black Hawk and was impressed with the speed of the helicopter.
“This was amazing,” Knowlton said. “I didn’t feel them take off, I didn’t feel them land.”
Hindoien said he is always looking to add members to his small group of loyal ESGR volunteers.
“This (Boss Lift) is my best recruiting method to get volunteers,” Hindoien said. “When I’m looking for volunteers I’m not looking for someone who needs to give me 100 hours each month. It may be one hour a month, it may be two hours a month. It gives them an opportunity to go out and meet with an employer, present an award from time to time that we need in a location such as this.”
| Date Taken: | 04.19.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 04.27.2016 17:48 |
| Story ID: | 196682 |
| Location: | GREAT FALLS, MT, US |
| Web Views: | 93 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Bosses take to the sky to learn about military service, by SMSgt Eric Peterson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT