Supporting citizen soldiers

John Grant and Jim Cunningham have walked in each others' tracks over 50 years of service. The two men were squadron mates in special air operations during the Vietnam War. Both went on to careers as pilots for United Airlines, and both continued to serve in the military - Cunningham in the Oregon Air National Guard, Grant with the U.S. Air Force Reserves.

"He went into the Reserves, I went to the Guard - that's the only difference as far as our service went," Cunningham told The Nugget.

Photo by Jim Cornelius

John Grant and Jim Cunningham work with ESGR - Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve - to promote the integration of citizen soldiers in the workforce.

Now, the two men, both living in Sisters, are promoting support for citizen soldiers through the ESGR program. ESGR stands for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve.

According to the Department of Defense, "ESGR, a Department of Defense office, 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 nearly 2,300 volunteers in 54 committees located across all 50 states."

ESGR conducts employer outreach to promote the hiring of Guard/Reserve personnel, and works with Guard or Reserve personnel and their families to help the transition back into work after a deployment.

Currently, Grant is active in Sisters seeking Statements of Support from local businesses. The businesses don't have to currently employ Guard or Reserve personnel; the statement simply documents a businesses support for citizen soldiers.

Veterans who see a statement of support in a business appreciate it because it shows "you value what the Guard and Reserve do for the country."

"There's never any cost to the employer," Cunningham noted.

The two men emphasize that there are advantages to hiring national Guard and Reserve personnel. They are mature, disciplined, and capable people who make excellent employees.

"They bring skill sets that they can transfer to civilian employ," Cunningham said.

National Guard and Reserve personnel are vital to American defense. Grant notes that homeland air defense is dependent upon the National Guard, whose pilots and air crews he describes as "top of the line."

Cunningham, who commanded the Oregon Air National Guard, said that "the two best fighter wings in the whole force are in this state."

Those interested in signing a statement of support may contact Grant at [email protected].

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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