Fayetteville N.C. – NC-ESGR and Ft. Liberty Garrison Command hosted twenty employers on November 7, 2024. The group also included three Civilian Aides to the Secretary of the Army (CASA) from N.C. Ft. Liberty is one of the largest U.S. Army Posts in size and population. It is home to U.S. Forces Command, U.S. Army Special Operations Command, the U.S. Army Reserve Command the 18th Airborne Corp, 82nd Airborne Division, and the N.C. Army National Guard (NCARNG) 139th Regional Training Institute along with other NCARNG maintenance facilities and units.
Ed Hamilton, State Chair of NC-ESGR provided the employers background and purpose on why ESGR exists and what it does in service to reserve members and their employers. He explained “Most often when there are conflicts between employers and their reserve employee, it is a usually just a case of miscommunication.” Hamiliton went onto describe how extremely supportive most employers are of their National Guard or reserve Soldier, Airman, Marine or Coast Guardsmen.
Maj. Gen. Martin Klein, Deputy Commanding General for U.S. Army Reserve Command shared what the U.S. Army Reserve (USAR) brings to the Army. He said, “When you think of the USAR, think of us as specialists.” He shared a slide showing the variety of specialties that reside in the USAR, everthing from historians, transportation and logistics to medical and finance are provided to the Army from the USAR.
The Deputy Commander for the N.C. Army National Guard’s 139th Regional Training Institute (RTI), Lt. Col. Richard Merril shared that the N.C. National Guard has been very busy supporting Hurricane Helen recovery efforts in Western N.C. He said there were still over 2000 Soldiers and Airman on State Active Duty supporting releif efforts. He noted that the response has been a team effort from across many other states’ National Guard along with active duty and USAR units providing forces help our fellow citizens.
After the briefings the group ate lunch in a dining facility on Ft. Liberty and were provided insight from the garrison commander, Col. Chad Mixon and Ft. Liberty Transition Services Manager, Mr. William McMillian. He provided a guided tour of two programs they are leading to help Soldiers find occupations after their service in the Army. One sponsored by the automaker BMW that trains and certifies technicians to work on BMW automobilies then places them in dealerships across the country. The other program, sponsored Trane Heating and Airconditioning (HVAC) manufacturer trains and certifies Soldiers as technicians in this much needed field. The Trane instructor shared that there are a wide variety of areas the Soldiers can persue once they are in the field, everything from computerized controls for large buildings, to airflow to residential units.
The last stop on the tour was a visit to Ft. Liberty’s Training Support Center (TSC). The TSC is responsible for providing training support equipment across North Carolina for active duty, USAR and NCARNG units. The tour of the massive wearhouse on Ft. Liberty show cased a wide variety of tools for Soldiers to train with such as manequins that weigh the same as a person, robotic tools, and the mulitple laser engagement system or MILES, sophisticated lazer tag equipment used when units train for combat. The TSC also showcased how they simulated the sounds of battle and their advanced individual weapon engagement skills trainer. The group had the oppurtunity to engage a screen of attacking enemy in a virtual scenario.
The employer’s were impressed with the information, some were veterans themselves but others remarked how they had no idea how much the Guard and Reserve were integrated into the active services. Some had traveled from areas across North Carolina to participate in the tour and felt the day was eyeopening and helped them better understand what their reservist did when away from work.
ESGR is a Department of Defense program that develops and promotes supportive work environments for service members in the National Guard and Reserve through outreach, recognition, and educational opportunities that increase awareness of applicable laws. ESGR also provides assistance in resolving conflicts between Service members and their employers.
For more information about ESGR outreach programs or volunteer opportunities, call (800) 336-4590 or visit www.ESGR.mil/NC