New Mexico National Guardsman, Las Vegas firefighter deploys to OIF

Courtesy Photo | Army National Guard Sgt. Michael M. Marquez Jr., a firefighter and emergency medical technician for the City of Las Vegas, N.M., is currently deployed as a noncommissioned officer in charge of U.S. Central Command security forces in Qatar under the New Mexico-based 111th Air Defense Artillery. Marquez is serving in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.  

QATAR

07.11.2006

Courtesy Story

Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve

Story by Spc. Jennifer Sardam
ESGR Forward Team

QATAR - Army National Guard Sgt. Michael M. Marquez Jr. is currently deployed as a non-commissioned officer in charge of U.S. Central Command security forces in Qatar under the New Mexico-based 111th Air Defense Artillery. Marquez is serving in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the official name given to military operations assisting in rebuilding Iraq's economic and governmental infrastructure and training and preparing Iraqi military and security forces to assume full authority and responsibility in defending and preserving Iraq's sovereignty and independence as a democracy.

Despite the challenges of being far from home and family, Marquez said 'serving my country with honor" in support of the Global War on Terror has helped make the time away easier.

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. The unified command of USCENTCOM is 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.

When he is at home station with the 111th in Rio Rancho, N.M., Marquez serves as a rifleman. With 11 years in the military, this is Marquez's second overseas deployment. In his civilian occupation, the sergeant is a firefighter and emergency medical technician for the city of Las Vegas, N.M., where he has worked for eight years.

In addition to the daily e-mails and support he gets from his wife, Marquez knows he can count on his coworkers to stand behind him during the mobilization. When he was preparing to deploy to the Middle East for the second time, he said some of the other firefighters, Billy Montoya and Arthur Herrera, offered to keep an eye on his family.

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 Marquez 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].

Marquez stated he has developed a "calm mentality" during his deployments overseas. He looks forward to bringing this attitude to the firehouse at home. "I will be there for my men [firefighters] the way I am there for my riflemen," he added.

Marquez, who calls Las Vegas, Nev., home, is married to his wife Francine. The couple has one daughter, seven-year-old DeAna.

USAR

• Date Taken: 07.11.2006
• Date Posted: 07.11.2006 14:49
• Story ID: 7134
• Location: QA