Hoosier bosses see their citizen-soldiers training at Fort Polk

Photo By Master Sgt. Jeff Lowry | William G. McIntyre II, with the Villa Baptist Church, signs an Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve statement of support, in Alexandria, Louisiana, Tuesday, July 18, 2017. McIntyre and three other Hoosier employers visited Indiana National Guard soldiers training at Fort Polk. The statement of support is the cornerstone of ESGR’s effort to gain and maintain employer support for the Guard and Reserve. Photo by Master Sgt. Jeff Lowry, 38th Infantry Division Public Affairs  

INDIANAPOLIS, IN, UNITED STATES

07.19.2017

Story by Master Sgt. Jeff Lowry 

38th Infantry Division

Story by Master Sgt. Jeff Lowry
38th Infantry Division Public Affairs

Hoosier employers visited their Indiana National Guard citizen-soldiers who are training at Fort Polk, Louisiana on Tuesday.

The Hoosier troops, approximately 4,000 with the 38th Infantry Division's 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, are gearing up for a 12-day training exercise that encompasses reconnoitering, occupying, attacking and defending tactics, techniques and procedures.

"I really had no idea what goes on during these training sessions," said Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Capt. Chris Boomershine. "And my eyes were really opened to what you guys do. It's a lot of hard work."

Boomershine and three other employers toured the post and saw first hand their citizen-soldiers preparing themselves and their equipment including rifles, machine guns, grenade launchers, personal armor, trucks, Humvees and track vehicles. And on every piece of that equipment, they attached laser transmitters which allow hits to be registered on opposing forces outfitted with receiver units.

Another one of the employers was Sasha Pavoni, the internal audit manager at Humana, who also was amazed at the amount of work in managing a brigade-sized training mission. In all, more than 6,000 National Guardsmen from more than 20 states are assisting with and taking part in and the training.

“The whole logistics in keeping it all together, there’s just so many details that’s involved with it,” said Pavoni.

Pavoni works with Indiana Guardsman Chad Beaucamp who at Humana is an internal audit senior consultant.

“Humana’s a big supporter of veterans and reserve soldiers,” said Pavoni. “This gives me a greater appreciation for what he does for our country. You get do fully embrace and see what he does.

While touring Fort Polk, Boomershine met up with fellow coworker and Hoosier Guardsman, 1st Lt. Jon Walls, a detective for the IMPD and the commander for Company D, 2nd Battalion, 151st Infantry Regiment for the Indiana National Guard.

Walls said it meant a lot for Boomershine and the other employers to make the trek from Indiana to Louisiana.

“It’s a partnership,” said Walls of juggling two jobs. “When I have to sacrifice two weeks at work, they can see why. And being a leader, they can see how my time is occupied.”

The personnel and volunteers who work for the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve organize trips like these to ensure a partnership between citizen-soldiers and their employers. The ESGR, a Department of Defense program, works to form a cooperation and understanding between reserve-component service members and their civilian employers.

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• Date Taken: 07.19.2017
• Date Posted: 07.19.2017 14:45
• Story ID: 241781
• Location: INDIANAPOLIS, IN, US
• Hometown: BROWNSBURG, IN, US
• Hometown: MADISON, IN, US
• Hometown: NEW ALBANY, IN, US