coesgr march 2011 newsletter

8/7/2019 COESGR March 2011 Newsletter

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March 2011

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ESGR

Welcome to Colorado ESGR. Our purpose is to have an informative newsletter that will educate, inform, and promote service by and to ESGR while fulfilling our mission of

supporting Employers, Guard/Reserve members, and COESGR Volunteers.

Inside this Issue

Fandies Candies .................... 1

Announcements ........................ 2

Giving Prior Notice .................. 4

Spouse Patriot Award .............. 6

About Military Outreach ......... 7

Colorado ESGR Contacts ..7

Calendar of Events, Links ....... 8

Growing circulation This Newsletter reaches more than 5300 National Guardsmen and 997 employersfrom our supporters list, volunteers of Colorado ESGR, and our social network websites like Facebook.

" WE THANK ALL OF THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO GIVE OF THEMSELVES DAILY TO PROTECT OUR GREAT COUNTRY." -Debi Moore

In a small town just 40 milesWest of Pueblo, in a smallcommunity called Canon City,therein lays a "Giant" in thearena of supporting our activeduty troops. People drive bythis little "Home of a Hero"everyday and no one notices.This miracle place is called"Fandies Candies" and insideis a charmingyoung lady, 5'7"in stature, but is10 feet tall witho u r s e r v i c emembers servingin Iraq and Af-ghanistan. Whois this miracleworker? Well,her name is DebiMoore and she has beensending boxes of homemadecandies to our troops over-seas for the past four years.On a special wall inside of her candy factory, appropriatelynamed as "Wall of Hero's" arethank you letters and picturesof servicemen and womenfrom all over the world detail-ing how much a simple small

favor can brighten their day.Only those who have beenthere know that words cannotexpress how much this littletaste of home is appreciated.After reading these "ThankYou" letters from our servicemen and women, tears willcome to your eyes and youare afraid to turn around as if

someone iswatching you.Debi's inspira-tion comesfrom her Dad,a Korean War veteran, andher cousin, athird tour vet-e r a n i nAfghanistan.

Debi's candies range fromnostalgic, bulk, and famoushomemade fudges. The themefor this project is called "Treatsfor our Troops Program" whichis an annual affair everyC h r i s t m a s .

(Continued on Page 5)
http://fandiescandy.com/http://www.facebook.com/DoD.ESGRhttp://twitter.com/ESGRhttp://esgr.org/http://www.facebook.com/pages/ESGR-Employer-Support-of-the-Guard-and-Reserve-Colorado/141464719244437?v=wall&ref=tshttp://twitter.com/CO_ESGRhttp://www.facebook.com/people/Colorado-Esgr/100000734059637http://esgr.org/


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Announcements

Electronic Requests for DD 214 Documents

March 2011

Veterans can now request a copy of their DD214electronically through the National PersonnelRecords Center (NPRC).The process takes between 10 and 14 businessdays.

Veterans can also request their military recordselectronically! Log on at: http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/

Military veterans and the next of kin of deceasedformer military members may now use this on-line

military personnel records systemto request documents. Other individuals must use the standardform 180, which can bedownloaded from the website.

For more information about requesting military or VA records call 1.314.801.0800

On Saturday, 16 Apr - the Air Reserve Personnel Center (ARPC) located at 6760 E Irvington Place inDenver (the old DFAS site at Lowry) is conducting a Muster with the Army and they expect well over 300 attendees. Military Outreach will be manning a booth to provide materials and address any ques-tions.

On Saturday and Sunday, 16 & 17 Apr - the 88th ARMY Reserve Support Command (RSC) is hold-ing the last of 3 conferences in Denver for this FY. Previous conferences have been attended by thehundreds and the expectation is the same for this event. It is being held at the Hyatt Downtown acrossfrom the Convention Center. Military Outreach will have volunteers man a booth and conduct two brief-ings during this event.

In a March 2, 2011 press release, the Departmentof Defense (DoD) announced itwill survey employers nation-wide in March and April to gaininsight into the benefits andchallenges of employing mem-bers of the Guard and Reserve.The DoD National Survey of Employers is the department'slargest study of its kind since the

United States entered sustainedmilitary operations nearly 10years ago in the aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001."Guard and Reserve membersoften return from military service as more valuableemployees, but their extended absences cansometimes burden their civilian employers," saidDennis McCarthy, assistant secretary of defensefor reserve affairs. "Our goal for this survey is to

identify best practices in supporting employers of Guard and Reserve membersand evaluate the effectivenessof Department of Defenseemployer support programs."Employer Support of theGuard and Reserve, a DoDagency, will send the survey to80,000 employers thisweek. The employers who

have all been randomlyselected will receive a letter with instructions and haveeight weeks to complete thesurvey.

More information on the survey can be found athttp://www.esgr.org/site/employersurvey.aspx

DOD to Measure Guard and Reserve Employment Practices

Upcoming events are coming up that should touch many troops.
http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/http://www.esgr.org/site/employersurvey.aspxhttp://www.esgr.org/site/employersurvey.aspxhttp://www.esgr.org/site/employersurvey.aspxhttp://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/


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March 2011

Our Veterans are a highly regarded and respected part of the Chamber Community so wewanted to let you know about this item that came in via Greg Echols, Chair of Auroras Veter-ans Affairs Commission and active member of our Defense Council. He passed the followingalong:The VA Office of Security and Law Enforcement (OS&LE) bulletin contains an advisory fromthe National Guard concerning a group calling itself "Veterans Affairs Services." This entity,whose name and seal are similar to VA's, is said to be gathering personal information onVeterans.

VA's OS&LE has requested dissemination of this advisory to make it clear that this group hasno affiliation with VA and to prevent unwitting release of Personally Identifiable Information.The more you know about the threats that are out there the more you can protect yourself and your families. Click here for a link to the advisory (pdf)

The deadline for eligible service members,veterans and their beneficiaries to apply for Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay (RSLSP)has been extended to March 18, 2011, allow-ing personnel more time to apply for thebenefits they've earned under the programguidelines.

The deadline extension is included in the con-tinuing resolution signed by President Obamayesterday, providing funding for federalgovernment operations through March 18,2011.

The RSLSP was established to compensatefor the hardships military members encoun-tered when their service was involuntarily ex-tended under Stop Loss Authority betweenSept. 11, 2001, and Sept. 30, 2009. Eligiblemembers or their beneficiaries may submit aclaim to their respective military service inorder to receive the benefit of $500 for eachfull or partial month served in a Stop Loss

status.

When RSLSP began on Oct. 21, 2009, theservices estimated 145,000 service members,veterans and beneficiaries were eligible for this benefit. Because the majority of thoseeligible had separated from the military, theservices have engaged in extensive andpersistent outreach efforts over the past 14months. Outreach efforts including directmail, engaging military and veteran serviceorganizations, social networks and mediaoutlets, will continue through March 18, 2011.

To apply for more information, or to gather

more information on RSLSP, including sub-mission requirements and service-specificlinks, go to http://www.defense.gov/stoploss .

National Guard Advisory concerning a group called the Veterans Affairs Services

Deadline for Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay Applications Extended
http://bit.ly/e9MZ5Hhttp://bit.ly/e9MZ5Hhttp://www.defense.gov/stoplosshttp://www.defense.gov/stoplosshttp://www.defense.gov/stoplosshttp://bit.ly/e9MZ5H


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Uniformed Services and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA)

The mission of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve is to develop and promoteemployer support for Guard and Reserve service by advocating relevant initiatives, recogniz-ing outstanding support, increasing awareness of applicable laws, and resolving conflict be-tween employers and service members.

With the mission of educating employers and service members in the forefront as our Soldiers,Sailors, Marines and Airmen continue to deploy, each month the newsletter will explore a dif-ferent aspect of the Uniformed Services and Reemployment Rights Act.

March 2011

The Uniformed Services Employment andReemployment Rights Act, in 38 U.S.C section4312, states a service member must give oral

or written notice of future military service totheir civilian employer. Written notice ispreferred. Service members should keepcopies of all communication with the employer regarding military service. Notice may be givenby the person who is going to military service,or by "an appropriate officer," who is acommissioned, warrant or non-commissionedofficer authorized to give notice by the militaryservice. This action is one step in preservingreemployment rights.

There is no required period of time attached toprior notice. Giving notice as far in advance aspossible shows respect and consideration for the employer, coworkers and any staffingneeds arising while the employee is away. TheDepartment of Defense "strongly recom-mends" at least 30 days prior notice be given.Also consider providing employers an advanceschedule of drill weekends and annual tour of duty; while not required, it again shows consid-eration for the employer.

The only time advance notice is not required iswhen "precluded by military necessity" or "otherwise impossible or unreasonable."These instances are very rare, and communi-cated to the service member. This determina-tion is made by the military services, or thesecretary of homeland security in consultationwith the secretary of defense.

The employee is not required to get permis-sion from the employer to fulfill a militaryobligation and they do not have to tell the

employer if they intend to return to the samecivilian employer. Also, if the employee informstheir employer that they do not intend toreturn, prior to completing their military service,they do not give up their right to reemploymentunder USERRA. Reemployment rights vestwhen a service member completes the tour of duty.Reemployment rights and "prior notice" applyto voluntary and involuntary service.Employers sometimes struggle with the neces-

sity for voluntary service. However, it is thebackbone of a system that enables theNational Guard and Reserve to meet the re-quirements of their military obligations.It is the policy of the Reserve Components toreduce the burden on civilian employers bygiving them as much advance notice as possi-ble. Communication is the cornerstone tobuilding trust and support, so that employeesmay count on their employer to help them fulfillboth military and civilian obligations. Com-munication can reduce the impact of ab-sences, and minimize stress on the employer,co-workers and employees who are currentmilitary members. Our country is best servedwhen employer and employee are working to-gether to support the mission of the NationalGuard and Reserve.

Giving Prior Notice Preserving Reemployment Rights by Jan Dolan, Ombudsman, Colorado ESGR


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March 2011

There is some community support but no one knows for sure just how much it costs to sendover 165 boxes of candies at a cost of $18 per box because the list grows every year and shenever complains. Donations are always welcome but this "Guardian Angel of our defenders of freedom" does all this from her heart. Because of this, Debi Moore was presented a Statementof Support" Award from Employers Supporting the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) of Colorado.The award was presented by ESGR Employee Outreach representative of Fremont County andUpper Arkansas River Valley, Everette Breckenridge. The Statement acknowledges that Debi,Aka Fandies Candies, continually recognizes and supports our service members on active dutyin peace, in crises, and in war. - Written by Everette Breckenridge, Colorado ESGR Volun-

teer .

Fandies Candy Company has beensending troops candy for four yearsnow through the "Treats for Troops"program. That's years of tasty treatsand plenty of smiles.

"We have a wall. I call it my wall of heroes," says Moore. "It's great to hear from them and to just know that it's im-pacting them and that it is just givingthem a little sweet taste of home."The name "FANDIES CANDY COM-PANY" was created while trying tocome up with a name that would look

old fashioned but also represent "FUN CANDY", thus the discovery of the name... Fun Candy =Fandy!The point of owning a business should never just be about how the community can serve thebusiness, but also about how the business can serve its community. Through fund-raisers andprojects like our "Treats for our Troops", Fandies is proactive in seeing this concept come tolife. Thank you to those who have shown great support!!

Every time an employer signs a Statement of Support (SoS) or

is presented with a Patriot Award (PA), ESGR volunteersrecognize outstanding support by employers. With each hour volunteered, an ESGR team member raises awareness of thelaw for the Guard and Reserve members and their employers,strengthens employer-employee relationships, and helps re-solve conflict. Excerpt from 2010 ESGR Annual Report.To download the ESGR 2010 Annual Report, click on the link(pictured)

The ESGR Statement of Support Program seeks to inform and educate employers about their rights and responsibilities towards their employees who serve in the National Guard andReserve, and to also recognize and reward those employers who go over and above therequirements of the law.
http://esgr.org/site/programs/AboutUs/AnnualReport.aspx


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The Employer Support of the Guard andReserve Patriot Award program recogniz-ing supportive employers was originallyonly open to Guard and Reservemembers, it is also open to membersspouses.

The Department of Defense wants toshowcase employers of Guard andReserve members families that provideunique support to their employees be-cause of the challenges it can presenttheir business.

Often childcare, managing the household,work schedules need to be adjusted whena Guard or Reserve member leaves thecountry. This program recognizes thesupportive employers of Guard andReserve members spouses, who oftenface unique challenges when their

employees spouse is deployed. Guard and Reserve service membershave job protections under the UniformedServices Employment and ReemploymentRights Act (USERRA) of 1994 FederalLaw. There are basic responsibilities andactions employers must take with regardsto the service members job. Spousesemployers have no obligation under thelaw and yet many employers areproviding exceptional support. The sup-

port of this unique group of employers iscritical to our national defense.

Families:

The families of the Guard and Reserveserve our Nation by proudly standingbehind these brave men and women, andAmerica appreciates their sacrifice aswell.

Patriot Award Spouse Nominator Formhttp://www.esgr.org/newforms.asp?p=patriot_spouse

Patriot Award Service Member Nominator Formhttp://www.esgr.org/newforms.asp?p=patriot

ESGR Spouse Patriot Award Nomination Talking Points

Expansion of the Patriot Award Program
http://www.esgr.org/newforms.asp?p=patriot_spousehttp://www.esgr.org/newforms.asp?p=patriot_spousehttp://www.esgr.org/newforms.asp?p=patriot_spousehttp://www.esgr.org/newforms.asp?p=patriothttp://www.esgr.org/newforms.asp?p=patriothttp://www.esgr.org/newforms.asp?p=patriothttp://www.esgr.org/newforms.asp?p=patriot_spousehttp://www.esgr.org/newforms.asp?p=patriot_spouse


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About Colorado ESGR (In this section is a brief summary of the

responsibilities of the different directorieswithin Colorado ESGR)

Military Outreach Directorate

The Military Outreach Directorate focuseson informing service members of their rightsand responsibilities under USERRA.

Reserve Component service members learnabout ESGR during Yellow Ribbon Reinte-gration Program (YRRP) events, joint ser-vice member and employer events, andbriefings to service members at their unitsduring pre-mobilization and demobilization,all of which provide an effective means of educating service members about the law.

Military Outreach Objectives:Inform service members about USERRAand ESGR.Encourage recognition of supportive em-ployers through Patriot Award nomina-tions.Build relationships with local ReserveComponent (RC) leaders.

Military Outreach Primary Functions :

Identify Reserve Component UnitsUnderstand the RC units missionpurpose/organizationRetrieve unit data (subordinateunits, strength, leaders, etc.)Build a unit fileServe as ESGR Liaison for unitmembers

Make ContactMeet with the leadership

Provide AssistancePromote Unit Employer Out-reach

Follow-Up

State ESGR ChairRichard E. Young, RADM, USN(Ret)dickyoung123@gmail. com

COLORADO ESGR DIRECTORS

Military OutreachMark [email protected] Joe [email protected]

Employer OutreachTom IvoryTivory@ aol.comJack Beattiebea [email protected]

OmbudsmenBill [email protected]

TrainingLynn [email protected]

Special ProgramsKip Cherouteskcheroutes@ Emgacommuni-cations.com

Speakers Bureau

Martin [email protected]

Public AffairsIris [email protected]

STAFF AND CONTACT INFORMATIONPat OFlaherty Staff [email protected]

720.250.1176

Kathleen Dorram Program Support [email protected]

720.250.1195 FAX: 720.250.1199

Chandra Hance Program Support [email protected]

720.250.1189 FAX: 720.250.1199

COESGR Business Office12200 East Briarwood Avenue, Suite 160

Centennial, Co 80112

ESGR National Office1555 Wilson Blvd., Suite 200

Arlington, VA 222091-800-336-4590 www.ESGR.com

State ESGR Vice ChairTom Mills, Brigadier General,CONG (Ret)[email protected]

EMPLOYER OUTREACHAREA CHAIRS

Colorado SpringsLarry Lynchtoparmy1@ yahoo.com

Douglas County AreaLorin [email protected]

Fort CollinsRobert [email protected]

Grand JunctionLou [email protected]

PuebloHarry [email protected]

MILITARY OUTREACHAREA CHAIR

Colorado SpringsVacant

NEWSLETTER EDITORSJames [email protected]

Carolyn Gunther

carolyn. gunther@ comcast.net

Colorados ESGR Electronic Newsletter is published not only for the information and benefit of the members of theColorado ESGR but most importantly to our Guard and Reserve members and their employers.

The contents of this newsletter highlight activities and events conducted by Colorado ESGR.Send comments regarding this publication to the Newsletter Editor: James Garrett at [email protected]
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.esgr.mil/http://www.esgr.mil/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.esgr.mil/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Click On These Important USERRA Links

Tips for Employers - http://www.esgr.org/site/Resources/TipsforEmployers.aspxEmployer Resource Guide http://www.esgr.org/site/Resources/EmployerResourceGuide.aspxEmployer FAQ - http://www.esgr.org/site/Resources/FAQforEmployers.aspx

Employer Factsheet - http://www.esgr.org/site/Resources/EmployerFactsheet.aspx USERRA Training 101 - http://www.nvti.ucdenver.edu/Userra101/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=/userra101/default.aspxUSERRA Training 102 - http://www.nvti.ucdenver.edu/Userra102/login.aspx? USERRA Assistance Request Online - http://www.esgr.org/site/Contact/CustomerServiceCenter.aspx Other Useful links available on USERRA site - http://www.esgr.org/site/USERRA.aspx DOL/VETS - http://www.dol.gov/vets/

Your Job Is Protectedcards

Service members Make sure youobtain a Your Job Is Protected walletinformation card from a Colorado ESGRMilitary Outreach Volunteer.

EVENTS CALENDAR

MARCH3-6 HQ ESGR Advanced Ombudsman Course,

New Orleans, LA7-9 302nd Airlift Wing Enlisted Development

Workshop, Peterson AFB12 ESGR Initial Basic Training for Volunteers,

Lone Tree, CO10-13 HQ ESGR Emerging Leader Training, San

Antonio, TX28-31 HQ ESGR West Region Conf. Las Vegas, NM30-31 Bosslift, Keesler AFB. Biloxi, MS

APRIL1 Bosslift, Keesler AFB. Biloxi, MS14 Western Slope Employers Luncheon16-17 88 RSC Yellow Ribbon, Denver Hyatt Re-

gency MAY

12-15 HQ ESGR Advanced Ombudsman Course,Chicago, IL

21 COESGR Volunteer Conference 23-25 Military Veterans Employment Initiative,

Jefferson County Fairgrounds (Tentative)

JUNE11 Employer Awards Banquet

JULY21-24 Basic Ombudsman Training Course, Seattle,

WA
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