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ESGR hosts Seven Seals brunch at JB MDL

  • Published
  • By Kryn P. Westhoven
  • New Jersey Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve Public Affairs
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. --  It was the first time anyone could remember that senior officers and noncommissioned officers of all of the Guard and Reserve components had come together for an Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve meeting. The New Jersey ESGR State Committee hosted this inaugural Seven Seals brunch Jan. 22 at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.

"You are our customers," said ESGR State Chairman Carmen Venticinque, as he looked around the room at the senior leaders from the Army and Air Guard along with the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine and Coast Guard reserve units.

"It is important we get to your units as you mobilize and demobilize," added Venticinque, referring to the more than 200 individual units nearly 17,900 Guard and Reserve servicemembers work one weekend every month.

The task of reaching out to that many facilities is accomplished by a small army of 165 volunteers spread across the state, but the key to educating that many service members is knowing what is going on at the units. One of the main reasons for the Seven Seals brunch is to get the word out to share information to better serve the unit members.

Venticinque noted that ESGR is expanding beyond the role of encouraging support for workers that wear the uniform; they will also be an advocate for military families in the workplace. Just as bosses and businesses are recognized for standing alongside a servicemember, ESGR will do the same for employers that have supported spouses with "My Boss is a Patriot" or other awards.

Also new for this year ESGR will be part of Department of Defense's team in assisting Guard and Reserve members in finding jobs. This is an outgrowth of ESGR's vision to show employers there is value in military service.

The core mission of educating those wearing the uniform and their employers about workplace rights and responsibilities remains at a high pace with more than 13,000 military members briefed in the year ending October 2010. Also, the number of servicemembers seeking ESGR's informal mediation service continues to rise with this current year.

For more information call NJESGT at 562-0157 or visit www.njesgr.org.