The mission of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve is to gain and maintain active support from all public and private employers for the men and women of the National Guard and Reserve as defined by demonstrated employer commitment to employee military service.
Why is the support of the nation's employers critical to the freedom of the nation? As the American military gets smaller, who will be there to answer the call? Who will be there to put their lives on the line for ours? Who will provide the combat ready forces that will help protect our national security interests?
With the support of their employers, members of the National Guard and Reserve are there when we need them. They provide half of our nation's uniformed military forces. In fact, some military skills are found only in the Reserve components. With the training they receive each year, the men and women of the National Guard and Reserve are also prepared to support peacekeeping missions and humanitarian relief efforts and to respond to natural and domestic emergencies.
The Secretary of Defense has said that anytime the United States is conducting a significant military operation, Reserve forces will be called upon to serve along side their Active duty counterparts.
Why is that support more important than ever today?
Right now, over 100,000 members of the Guard and Reserve are on extended active duty in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Kosovo--across the United States and around the world fighting the Global War Against Terrorism.