Governor Ritter Signs Army Reserve Employer Partnership

#tcot #gop #redco
By Army Reserve 1st Lt. Olivia Cobiskey
Special to American Forces Press Service

DENVER, March 27, 2009 – Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter Jr. signed on to the Army Reserve Employer Partnership Initiative at a March 20 ceremony here that also drew 11 private-sector employers.

Army Reserve Sgt. Gregory S. Ruske, who earned the Silver Star medal for gallantry in Afghanistan, shakes hands with Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter Jr. in Denver, March 20, 2009. The two attended a ceremony in which the state of Colorado joined the Army Reserve’s Employer Partnership Initiative. U.S. Army photo by Jack Dempsey
(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.
The governor is the first to commit all state agencies to working with the Army Reserve to fill critical shortages, officials said.

"It is my pleasure to add Colorado to the list of employers who will proactively seek to hire and retain Army Reserve soldiers when they return home," Ritter said. "This partnership with the Army Reserve expands the opportunities for the men and women who have made great sacrifices on our behalf. It is one more step towards attempting to repay the debt we owe our brave troops and veterans." READ THE REST

I applaud Governor Ritter for this, but to me it seems to fall short as though it was entirely created by civilians without much input by service brass. Perhaps because I am in the Navy reserves I think about this more than others but there are 10's of thousands of Air Force, Navy and Marine reservists who also served in Iraq that could use this help. Yes the Army does the yoeman's work on the ground but they are not the only ones being separated from their families for a year or more at a time, once, twice or more in the GWOT. This is incomplete.

As I do every month, last drill weekend I learned of 3 more of my friends headed overseas for a year or more. Reservists don't get deployed with friends, they go by themselves. They don't go with their unit they get involuntarily (or voluntarily) deployed alone. Any help we can give them on return to help them is welcomed.