Tuesday, September 04, 2007

VA Center Greets Returning Reservists With Open Arms

By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

Sept. 4, 2007 - When Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. Timothy Stoeckle deployed for Operation Enduring Freedom in 2004, he never heard a word from his employer -- not a card, note or thank you. He eventually left that job and went to work for the Wilmington Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Delaware. Since taking that job, he has again gotten the call to serve, and the difference has been like night and day, Stoeckle said.

Cards, e-mails and care packages of support were constant during his most recent 120-day deployment to Afghanistan, he said. He was shown the same support when he was activated following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

"They always said, 'If you need anything, just ask,'" Stoeckle said. "It's just comforting to know that folks back home care about you."

As a way of saying thanks, Stoeckle nominated his employer for the Secretary of Defense Freedom Award, and the center was among 15 businesses and organizations selected to receive this year's award. The annual award honors businesses and organizations that provide exemplary support for their employees in the Guard or reserves.

Stoeckle said he wanted to thank his employer for its support of reservists who are doing their part to fight the war on
terrorism. "I am very happy that my nomination went through," he said.

The biomedical engineering technician said his coworkers were especially supportive and that the center supports all its reservists in its practices and policies. In fact, the center has a history of supporting the troops and has received multiple Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Patriot Awards and a Delaware Pro Patria Award.

During Stoeckle's deployments, the center kept his benefits, including health, dental and life insurance, active. Officials there also provided
military leave that he could combine with other leave he earned to help continue his salary while deployed.

Joanne MacKenzie, staff assistant to the center's director, said the center's leaders also feel it's important to support family members of deployed
military members. "Most of the reservists have families back here who still need a lot of support. So we like to be here for them," she said.

MacKenzie said officials at the medical center feel the contributions they make are small compared to sacrifices of the servicemembers. MacKenzie especially recognizes the sacrifices. Her husband is retired from the Delaware National Guard and a veteran of Operation Desert Storm, and she spent nine years in the Delaware Air National Guard.

"We don't really feel like we are doing anything special. They are certainly putting out an awful lot, much more than we are. They take such good care of us," she said. "It makes them feel like they are wanted, so they do want to come back. And hopefully they realize how much we appreciate them and how valued they are as employees."

Stoeckle is a member of the 142nd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, in New Castle, Del. He said the constant support from his employer makes the transition back to civilian life easier.

"It's nice to have a place to come back to, an employer with open arms," he said.

The Secretary of Defense Freedom Award recognizes U.S. employers who rise above the requirements of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. The National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, a Defense Department agency, manages the award process. ESGR assists Guard and reserve members and their employers in understanding employee eligibility and job entitlements, employer obligations, benefits and remedies under the act.

Wilmington VA Medical Center officials will accept the Freedom Award during a formal ceremony here Sept. 12.

New Initiatives Raise Hopes for Army to Reach Recruiting Goals

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Sept. 4, 2007 - The
Army's new "quick-ship" bonus program is showing success in getting prospective recruits to enlist and is expected to help the Army make its end-of-year recruiting goal, the Army's recruiting chief told Pentagon reporters today. Maj. Gen. Thomas P. Bostick, commander of U.S. Army Recruiting Command, credited the $20,000 quick-ship bonus with helping to motivate would-be soldiers who were "on the fence" into joining the ranks.

The program was introduced in late July to provide a financial incentive for recruits willing to ship off quickly to basic
training. In August alone, 200 recruits who were planning to ship in September went a month early.

Bostick said it's one of several recruiting initiatives the
Army has put in place to ensure it meets its fiscal 2007 goals.

This year, for example, the average bonus was up to about $15,000, but some run as high as $40,000, the maximum allowed by Congress.

A new $15,000 bonus and a two-year
Army College Fund contribution for soldiers taking the two-year enlistment option are gaining momentum, too, Bostick said. The combination, introduced in July, doubled the Army's two-year enlistments, he said.

Educational incentives like the Army College Fund, Montgomery G.I. Bill and college loan-repayment programs are important, Bostick said, because many recruits hope to further their education.

He called these incentives critical to the Army's effort to fill its ranks with high-quality recruits at a particularly difficult time. "This is the first time that we have had to recruit an Army into the all-volunteer force during protracted combat operations," he said. "So it is a bit more challenging."

Many prospective applicants are concerned about the war in Iraq, he said. That's reflected in the lowest interest among recruitment-age youth in joining the
military than at any other time during the past two decades. Twenty years ago, 25 percent of 17-to-24-year-olds said they'd likely serve in the military during the next three to five years, Bostick said. Today, it's 15.7 percent.

Meanwhile, parents, coaches and other adult influencers concerned about the war are less likely to encourage military service, he said. Right now, 25 percent of mothers and 33 percent of fathers say they would recommend
military service to their children. That's down from 40 percent and 50 percent, respectively, in 2004.

This is all occurring when unemployment is at historic lows, giving young people many career options.

"But we're not wringing our hands," Bostick said. "We are manning this Army. We are doing a pretty good job of it. I think we have a lot who are answering the call to duty."

As of July 30, 83,000 recruits had joined the active
Army and Army Reserve. Nearly 62,000 of them went on active duty, bringing the Army about 1,000 troops ahead of its year-to-date recruiting goal. Nearly 21,500 recruits had joined the Army Reserve by the end of July, about 180 behind its year-to-date goal.

Bostick reported "a very good month" in August, but declined to reveal the Army's recruiting numbers until the Defense Department releases them next week.

He vowed to close any remaining gaps by Sept. 30 and meet the active Army's year-end goal of 80,000 recruits and
Army Reserve's goal of 26,500.

The mission of manning the Army isn't just a challenge for the
Army, he said. "This is a challenge for the nation. And if this nation wishes to remain free and enjoy the democracy that we have in this country, it will take soldiers that are willing to stand up and defend this country as they are in Iraq, Afghanistan and throughout the world."