Guard thanks employers with free rides
Ken Matthisen looks out over the Mission Mountains as he and other take part in a flight on Saturday at the Montana Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve event.
Sgt. Rob Curry keeps a watchful eye open as the Black Hawk flies over the Mission Mountains on Saturday.
The crew of one of the Black Hawks watches as the Chinock, the final of the three helicopters to arrive, begins to descend toward the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Kalispell on Saturday.
A group of employers get a briefing from the flight crews that will be taking groups of people up in two Black hawk and one Chinock on Saturday at the Montana Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve event at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Kalispell.
American employers are required to accommodate members of the National Guard and Army Reserve.
Even so, those who have gone above and beyond in providing steady employment for citizen soldiers recently were shown some high-flying appreciation.
The Employer Support of The Guard and Reserve, a volunteer division of the Department of Defense, hosted dozens of local business owners and managers on Sept. 25 for its annual “Boss Lift” at the Kalispell Armed Forces Reserve Center.
About 50 people were provided one-hour rides on one of three military aircraft.
Pilots maneuvered two Black Hawk helicopters and one double-propeller Chinook on trips over Flathead Lake, above the Mission Mountains and back toward Kalispell.
“When we deploy, it makes it difficult for our employers,” said Chief Warrant Officer Mat Rowley, who piloted one of the Black Hawks. “We view this as a way to show we appreciate the support.”
Rowley said he has had difficulties with at least one employer when it came to honoring the commitments of a soldier and a worker.
The Employer Support program is mandated with streamlining that process, educating businesses and helping guardsmen and reservists transition between military and civilian life.
Spec. Bill Johnson recently returned from a 12-month deployment, much of it in Iraq. He said there is stress involved with carrying out orders if having a job at home becomes an issue.
“It’s really nice to have an employer who will stick by you,” he said.
Two such employers were honored during a ceremony that preceded the aerial tour of the Flathead Valley.
Bill Nelson, manager of Flathead Job Services, was presented the Freedom Award — the highest recognition given by the U.S. government to employers for their support of soldiers.
Brian Kaufman, co-owner of Kaufman’s Menswear in Great Falls, was given the My Boss the Patriot Award.