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© 2013 KentuckyGuard
By Staff Sgt. Scott Raymond, Kentucky National Guard Public Affairs
Kentucky civic leaders and employers visit with Kentucky Guardsmen as part of an Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Boss Lift at Fort Knox, Ky., July 22, 2015. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Scott Raymond)
FRANKFORT, Ky. — When a National Guard Soldier or Airman serves their one weekend and month and two-weeks in the summer, they are considered a traditional Guardsman. With the overwhelming majority of Kentucky’s Guardsmen falling into that category, hundreds of employers across the commonwealth are included in the extended Guard family. During ceremonies to welcome home, promote or award Guardsmen, we always hear the common gratitude to the families for sharing their loved one with the Guard. But it also a familiar acknowledgment to the employers and businesses that have also supported Kentucky’s Citizen-Soldiers.
Lt. COl. Rob Larkin, command of the 138th Field Artillery Brigade speaks to employers and civic leaders during the civilians’ visit to the unit as part of an Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve boss lift at Fort Knox, Ky., July 22, 2015. The ESGR group toured the 138th’s tactical operations center, interacted with Soldiers and witnessed a live fire exercise of M109 Paladins. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Scott Raymond)
As a thank you to several such military-friendly employers, Kentucky’s Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve held a day with the troops event, July 22. Commonly referred to as a Bosslift, such events provide employers and civic leaders the opportunity to see first hand what Kentucky’s Guardsmen, their employees, do when they are “off work.”
More than 30 representatives from local agencies and businesses from Lexington to Bowling Green flew by Blackhawk helicopter to Fort Knox, Kentucky and the Wendell H. Ford Regional Training Center in Greenville, Kentucky for the up-close view of National Guard training.
“The ESGR Bosslift program is essential in helping employers and community leaders understand what our Citizen-Soldiers do while in uniform,” said retired Army Brig. Gen. Mike Richie, a support specialist with Kentucky’s ESGR. “Most develop a deep appreciation for the dedication and sacrifice required to serve in the military. It’s also an opportunity to thank them for their contribution to our nation’s defense by employing and supporting our Service members.”
Click here for more photos.
Soldiers with the 138th Field Artillery Brigade were first to play host to the ESGR group at Fort Knox. Kentucky Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. Edward W. Tonini joined Lt. Col. Rob Larkin, commander of the 138th in greeting the civilians in a field environment the 138th was occupying for annual training. The employers met with the artillery Soldiers, toured their tactical operation center and vehicles, and witnessed a live fire exercise by the unit’s M109 Paladins.
One of the Paladin crew members was Sgt. 1st Class James Hatfield, a fireman with the Bardstown FIre Department. Among the visitors was Chief Marlin Howard, Hatfield’s boss.
“He has seen me in uniform before, but never in the field, never in this atmosphere, I’m sure his perspective will probably change a little bit,” said Hatfield. “Telling someone what you do is one thing, but when they see you in the environment you do it, is a completely different story. It’s hard for them to get that visual.”
Chief Marlin Howard, chief of the Bardstown FIre Department has he photo taken with Sgt. 1st Class James Hatfield during an Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve boss lift at Fort Knox, Ky., July 22, 2015. Hatfield serves with Howard in Bardstown as his full-time employment. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Scott Raymond)
“It means a lot that he came out here,” Hatfield added. “We are super busy at work and for him to take the time, see what I do and be a part of it, and to have a boss care enough to want to know what you do is pretty awesome.”
Hatfield has spent 21 years in the military uniform and 14 years as a fireman. The balance has worked for him, but knows some still believe that Guardsmen just get a couple extra days off each month.
“Employers on these boss lifts can see first hand, this isn;t a vacation out here, it’s good quality training for something we might have to do down the road.”
Howard said he has a small and close department, so everyone knows each other pretty well but hearing and seeing are two different things.
“He is a great employee and I kinda knew what he did outside work, but until you put boots on the ground with him, stand there beside with the equipment he works with, it’s an unbelievable moment,” said Howard. “It’s great to know and see that training that they get here, they take it back to their community.”
“I really appreciate everything the Guard has done to make us feel welcome into all of this, it’s been very nice and educational.”
In addition to the visit with the 138th, the employers and civic leaders traveled to the Kentucky’s Guard’s primary training facility in Greenville to see members of the 103rd Chemical Company during search and rescue training and Soldiers with the 138th Signal Company conducting vehicle roll-over training.
Chief Keith Jackson has a unique view of the day as he spent 27 years in the military. Now the Lexington Fire Department chief returns to the training fields to see Larkin, his friend and fellow fireman. Jackson expressed the pride he has for Larkin and the accomplishments he continues in the Guard and knows the sights and sounds will have an impact on the other employers.
“I think, today has opened their eyes to what truly at Citizen-Soldier is,” he said. “And they see what the Service members can offer, not only to the country but to the average American citizen.”
For more information on ESGR, visit www.esgr.mil, and www.kentuckyguard.com for information on Kentucky’s ESGR program.
Story by Spc. Lerone Simmons 133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
Civilian bosses of Kentucky National Guard Service members talk with a Soldier at the 138th Fires Brigade Command Post, as part of the annual Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve “boss lift” event at Wendell H. Ford Regional Training Center, Greenville, Ky., 28 July, 2014. The boss lift is an event that allows civilian bosses to experience a day in the life of a Kentucky National Guard Service member and give more insight on what the their employees do in the military world. (National Guard photo by Army Spc. Lerone Simmons 133rd MPAD)
GREENVILLE, Ky. - Each time a Kentucky National Guardsman is activated, an employer is left to fill a vacant spot on the assembly line, at the office or behind the wheel. Recognizing the sacrifice employers make, and the impact a Guardsman has on their business, The Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve promotes cooperation between reserve components and civilian employers to foster better long-standing relationships.
Civilian Employers engage with a Virtual Range Fire program with the Engagement Skill Trainer (EST) with the assistance of several Soldiers while at the annual Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve “boss lift” event at Wendell H. Ford Regional Training Center, Greenville, Ky., 28 July, 2014. The boss lift allows civilian employers to experience a day in the life of a Kentucky National Guard Service member. (National Guard photo by Army Spc. Lerone Simmons 133rd MPAD)
“As employers, you have to learn to appreciate and understand your military employees,” said Eric Leef, a human resources manager with the Louisville-based General Electric.
“When a Soldier makes that initial commitment to serve, they embark on a path filled with training and dedication which can also benefit any privately owned business,” he said, adding “they know how to get the job done.”
Maj. Jonathan Gocke, fire support officer for the Kentucky Army Guard’s 138th Fires Brigade and parts fulfillment planner for GE, nominated Leef for the ESGR Boss Lift, a program that exposes employers to a day-in-life of a Soldier or Airman. Leef and 15 other employers descended onto the Wendell H. Ford Regional Training Center July 28, via Kentucky National Guard UH-60 Blackhawks, to see what a Soldier does during the one weekend-a month, and two-weeks out of the year.
Click here for more photos of this event.
Tina Hammons, director of consumer sales, smiles while she poses in a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System as Rosemary Miller, program support technician, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, takes her picture during an annual “boss lift” event at Wendell H. Ford Regional Training Center, Greenville, Ky., 28 July, 2014. The boss lift allows civilian bosses to experience a day in the life of a Kentucky National Guard Service member. (National Guard photo by Army Spc. Lerone Simmons 133rd MPAD)
“The boss lift shows them another side of their employee, and also how important the role of the employer is to the entire National Guard,” Gocke said. “GE having a presence here, it shows that they care about their employees.”
The day began with a flight from the Boone National Guard Center in Frankfort, or the Louisville Air Guard Base. Once landed at WHFRTC, the bosses received a welcome briefing by leadership, and joined in with the 138th Fires Brigade’s Command Post for an annual training exercise. The employers fell in on the fires company and received a closer look at at the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). The bosses geared up and engaged in a Virtual Range Fire program with the Engagement Skill Trainer (EST) and toured the live firing ranges before their mission was complete and they departed in Blackhawks.
“The civilian bosses of National Guard Service members get to see what our Service members do while getting the opportunity to participate themselves,” said retired Army Maj. Gen. Robert S. Silverthorn, state chairman, Kentucky ESGR committee.
“The boss lift gives the employers the opportunity to see their employees perform duties as a member of the United States Military,” he said.
It’s a win-win for the employee and employer, Gocke said.
“Without employer support, our job would be very difficult, so I’m grateful for ESGR and their role with the boss lift, because it helps maximize the employer employee relationship,” Gocke said. And, he said, “it’s pretty hard to beat a Blackhawk ride. It’s definitely not something you see or do every day.”
Photos and story by Master Sgt. Philip Speck, 123d Airlift Wing Public Affairs
Employers of the Kentucky Air National Guardsmen in front of a Kentucky Air Guard C-130 at Scott Air Force Base on June 8. The employers were invited by the ESGR as part of a bosslift, where employers learn the importance of the U.S. Air Force mission being conducted by their traditional Guardsman employees. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Phil Speck)
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. — More than 30 civilian employers flew aboard a Kentucky Air National Guard C-130 to Scott Air Force Base, Ill., June 8 as part of program to teach them more about the Air Guard mission.
Called a “Bosslift,” the event was designed to show appreciation to the employers of Guardsmen while exposing them to the kinds of missions their employees perform when they leave their civilian jobs and put on an Air Force uniform, according to Philip Miller, an employer support specialist with the Kentucky Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve.
“The Air National Guard is included in everyday business as an integral part of the U.S. Air Force global mission,” Miller said. “In fact, Air National Guard and Reserve airlift units are running 59 percent of the Air Force’s airlift missions around the world. So this Bosslift provided a great opportunity to showcase Kentucky Air Guardsmen and explain to employers how they fit into the U.S. Air Force’s big picture. The employers were able to see the importance of the missions being conducted by their traditional Guardsman employees.”
Command Chief Master Sgt. Curtis Carpenter, 123rd Airlift Wing Command Chief, speaks to Mary Moseley (left), President and Owner of Al J. Schneider Co., and Rita Reedy, Corporate Marketing Director for Al J. Schneider Co, while boarding a Kentucky Air National Guard C-130 at Scott Air Force Base on June 8. The employers were invited by the ESGR as part of a bosslift, where employers learn the importance of the U.S. Air Force mission being conducted by their traditional Guardsman employees. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Phil Speck)
Those missions will continue this summer, when more than 90 members of Kentucky’s 123rd Airlift Wing and two C-130 aircraft are slated to deploy to an undisclosed air base in Southwest Asia. They will conduct military airlift missions across the U.S. Central Command Area of Operations for approximately four months before returning home.
Participating “bosses” represented a broad range of employers, from Humana and United Parcel Service to WDRB Television, Louisville Gas & Electric and the Al J. Schneider Co. Their day began with a 123rd Airlift Wing mission brief at the Air Guard Base in Louisville, followed by the flight to Scott Air Force Base.
While in Illinois, the employers met with top Air Force officials, received a briefing about how the U.S. Transportation Command and Air Mobility Command perform their missions, and toured the Air Mobility Command Tanker Airlift Control Center. The facility is the nerve center for airlift, aerial refueling and aeromedical evacuation operations across the globe.
John Brown, vice president of Medicare Service Operations at Humana, said he appreciated the perspective he gained from participating in the Bosslift.
“This is my first time behind the scenes at this level,” he said. “I usually only see it or hear it through the eyes or the lenses of someone else. But literally being on the aircraft that our Guardsmen are on and seeing how things are run — that gives me a deeper appreciation for what I normally get as a sound bite on television. It gives me a much deeper perspective and appreciation for everything that goes into the work they do and the service they provide every day.”
Joe Kuhn, a power plant manager for Alcoa, described the briefings as eye-opening.
“I had no idea the Guard and reserves were so integral to our daily defense,” Kuhn said. “I assumed they were a supplemental force to cover peak demand. The day was very informative, professionally executed and made me feel proud to be a small part of the effort.”
ESGR, which co-sponsored the Bosslift with the 123rd Airlift Wing, is a federal agency that works to create a culture of support for National Guard and Reserve members by recognizing outstanding employer support and increasing awareness of laws and policies regarding Guardsmen and Reservists.
ACH
By Spc. Scott Raper, 133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
A group of local civic leaders stand in front a C-130 at Ft. Knox, Ky., during the 2010 Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Boss Lift, Aug. 13. The ESGR event is held to allow employers the opportunity to see how the Guard and Reserves train.
FORT KNOX, Ky. (August 19, 2010)-
A group of the Commonwealth’s civic leaders were treated to a day of excitement at Ft. Knox, Ky., as part of the 2010 Boss Lift sponsored by Employers Support of the Guard and Reserve on August 13.
Service members from the Army, Army and Air National Guard and Marine Corps Reserve gave the civic leaders a taste of what their employees do during a drill weekend or Annual Training.
The day began with a flight on a Air Force C-130 from the Air Guard Base in Louisville to Ft. Knox. The civic leaders then boarded a UH-60 Blackhawk for orientations flights over the area. They landed at the Advanced Drivers Course to meet members of the 4th Tank Battalion, 4th Marine Division, where they were driven around post on M1-A1 Abrams tanks.
Dawn Cain and Tracy Henry give a high five in prepartion for their ride on a M1-A1 Abrams tank during the 2010 Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Boss Lift at Ft. Knox, Ky, August 13. The ESGR event is held so the Guard and Reserves can share what it is like to be a service member to their employers.
“Everyone had an amazing ride,” said Tracy Henry with UPS’s Global Ops Center. “It has proven to them that the military is more high caliber than some expected.”
Civic leaders also enjoyed a stop at the Patton Museum and a presentation from Ft. Knox Commander, Lt. Gen. Benjamin C. Freakly. Freakly shared information of Ft. Knox and reminded them that the Soldier, Airman, Marine and Sailor is able to do what they have to do because their employers stand behind them.
Everyone was impressed with the interaction of civilian and service member and how important that relationship can be.
A group of local civic leaders prepare to board a UH-60 Blackhawk at the Air National Guard Base in Louisville, KY, during the 2010 Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Boss Lift, August 13. The ESGR event is held to allow employers the opportunity to see how the Guard and Reserves train.
Air National Guard Master. Sgt. Eric Hagen commented, “This gives civilian employers and the military a chance to interact, to understand where each is coming from. Anytime you get that kind of communication it is great for both sides.”
Units involved in the boss lift look forward to supporting the event year after year. A mutual appreciation is shared among all that are involved. According to the ESGR, the goal of the organization is to support America’s employers who share their employees with the nation to ensure national security.
Ms. Henry added, “I wish more people could do this. I wish more would open their eyes to some of the things we have from the sacrifices of our military.”
