Navy Reservist extends for third time in Bahrain

Courtesy Photo | Petty Officer 1st Class Joel Granado, a Navy reservist serving on his third extension while assigned to NAVCENT in Bahrain, is a dispatcher for Cardiff Transportation in Napa Calif.  

BAHRAIN

07.19.2006

Courtesy Story

Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve

by Lt Col Martin Moerschell
ESGR Forward Team

BAHRAIN - U.S. Navy reservist Petty Officer 1st Class Joel Granado is currently deployed to Navy Central Command in Bahrain supporting Operation Enduring Freedom, the official name given to military operations from Afghanistan to the Horn of Africa in support of the Global War on Terror.

This is Granado's third extension in theatre and in spite of the challenges of being away from home for so long, being a part of Operation Enduring Freedom makes up for the hardships he encounters.

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.

At Navy Central Command, Granado, who is an electrical technician providing communications support at his home station in Naval Beach Group One Det 119, Point Hueneme, Calif is currently working as a Pakistani Shiprider on CTF 150. The Petty Officer has served in the military for 16-years and he has been deployed since January 2004.

In his civilian occupation, Granado is a dispatcher providing logistical support with Cardiff Transportation in Palm Desert, Calif., for four years. "My employer has been great in allowing me to fulfill my military obligations in theatre." Granado said. "I have been away for 26 months and when I come home, I have my job waiting for me."

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 Granado 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].

"From this experience I have a deeper appreciation for our way of life in America. We have so much to be thankful for and I enjoy doing the best job I can for the Navy and for my country", Granado shared.

Granado, who calls Napa, Calif his home, is the proud son of John and Tonita Granado also in Napa, Calif. "I have the love and support of my family who are behind me in all of my endeavors. I could not ask for a better support system—they are the best" Granado expressed.

• Date Taken: 07.19.2006
• Date Posted: 07.19.2006 09:04
• Story ID: 7245
• Location: BH