Gov. Mapp And Lt. Gov. Potter Pledge Employer Support For Military Service

Gov. Kenneth E. Mapp and Lieutenant Governor Osbert Potter on Monday signed the Statement of Support for the Employer’s Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR). The statement is important because it is a outward sign of the executive branch’s commitment that no military person will lose their job due to an obligation to serve the United States in its armed forces.

“We fully recognize, honor and enforce the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (– USERRA),” Mapp and Potter said. “We will provide our managers and supervisors with the tools they need to effectively manage those employees who serve in the Guard and Reserve. We appreciate the values, leadership and unique skills service members bring to the workforce and will encourage opportunities to employ Guardsmen, Reservists, and Veterans. We will continually recognize and support our country’s Service members and their families in peace, in crisis, and in war.”

The first Statement of Support was signed December 13, 1972 in the Office of the Secretary of Defense by the Chairman of the Board of General Motors. President Nixon was the first president to sign a Statement of Support, and in 2005 every federal Cabinet Secretary and all federal agencies signed a Statement of Support to signify their continuing efforts to be model employers. Since its inception, hundreds of thousands of employers have signed Statements of Support, pledging their support to Guard and Reserve employees.

ESGR is a Department of Defense office that was established in 1972 to promote cooperation and understanding between Reserve Component Service members and their civilian employers and to assist in the resolution of conflicts arising from an employee’s military commitment. ESGR is supported by a network of more than 4,700 volunteers in 54 committees located across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam-CNMI (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands), Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Volunteers, hailing from small business and industry, government, education and prior military service bring a vast wealth of experience to assist in serving employers, service members and their families. ESGR has served our country for more than 40 years, fostering a culture in which all employers support and value the employment and military service of members of the National Guard and Reserve in the United States.

“Lieutenant Governor Osbert Potter and I fully support the efforts of our Men and Women in uniform,” Mapp said in a meeting with ESGR representatives. “The signing of this document is well warranted, I encourage all employers throughout the territory to make this pledge. I have invited Mr. Beresford Edwards of the ESGR to make a presentation at our next Cabinet Meeting. During this presentation he will speak to the Cabinet Members, Commissioners and Directors, respectively. He will discuss various training programs and opportunities for our military personnel as they return to the Territory. Both Lt Governor Potter and I, welcome the participation of the ESGR.”