In addition to the challenges National Guard members face in finding employment, they also sometimes face difficulties balancing the expectations of their employers with the demands of their continued Guard service.
An op-ed published this week by the South Carolina Post and Courier tackles that issue head-on.
Penned by John Green, a retired officer of the 315th Airlift Wing, Air Force Reserve in Charleston and the state chair of South Carolina Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense operational committee, the op-ed trumpets the state's accomplishments in lowering unemployment rates among National Guard Service members and issues a call to action for continued support efforts.
In the fall of 2011, Green writes, 14% of South Carolina National Guard members were unemployed. Today, that number is down to 3.9%. This is the result, Green says, of government programs and private sector support.
But the state's good work cannot stop now, says Green. He challenges South Carolina employers to go beyond hiring and take on a support role as their National Guard member employees continue their commitments to the Guard and provide quick response to overseas combat and domestic crises.
Read Green's full op-ed here.
Importantly, Green and many others have noted that hiring National Guard members is well worth any compromise necessary to accommodate their training and deployment schedules because Guard members are well-trained leaders who bring integrity, perspective and toughness to the workplace.
If you think your business would benefit from National Guard employees, register to submit your open jobs to American Jobs for America's Heroes on the Center for America website.
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