SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Il. (USTCNS)---Looking down on the Mississippi River 6,000 feet below from a hatch window on a C-130 aircraft--one of the workhorses in the war on terrorism-- Earl Pabst of Missouri's Department of Natural Resources got a better appreciation of the vital role reservists play in our country's defense.

Pabst was among a group of 12 St. Louis area employers given special recognition by employees who are reservists with the Joint Transportation Reserve Unit (JTRU) at United States Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill. Many have been recalled to help fight terrorism.

Scott AFB is world headquarters for the transportation command, which coordinates military transportation worldwide.

"Reservists can't do what they do without the support of their families and employers," Brig. Gen. Robert P. Meyer, commanding officer of the JTRU , said. "Our reservists are more important to the active duty military than ever before, and we place great value on their skills and the Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve Program."

Meyer explained that the reserve unit at Scott is unique because it is the first "joint" reserve unit composed of reservists from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard. It is an integral part of both round-the-clock peacetime operations and wartime operations as well.


"The biggest loss of reservists is due to job conflicts." Said David Oates, representative of the Illinois ESGR chapter. "With good communications these can usually be resolved."

One of ESGR's main functions since it was established in 1972 within the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense is to promote cooperation and understanding between reserve component members and their civilian employers, and to assist in the resolution of conflicts arising from an employee's military commitment, Oates added.

"This was an excellent program." Said Steve Doelger, Vice President, Operations, of Sigma Diagnostics, St. Louis. "The training and experience our employees gain as reservists make them more valuable as employees. USTC wins, and we win."

Patrick A McCormick, Vice President for Procurement at Emerson, said it was reassuring to see how smoothly the command's soldiers, sailors, airmen, coastguardsmen and Marines work together. Cmdr. Charlie McCall, and Lt. Cmdr. Douglas Distelrath accompanied him during the day. Both are naval reservists who work for him as commodity managers at Emerson.

A special feature of Employer Appreciation Day was a 90-minute flight up the Mississippi River aboard the C-130. Nine guests and their sponsors boarded the plane, flown by an aircrew of USAF reservists from Willow Grove, Pa.

Rollen Roberson, assistant supervisor of production control for A.G. Edwards & Sons, St. Louis, was hosted by one of his employees, Sgt. First Class Denise V Byrd, of the US Army Reserve.

"I thought the experience was very beneficial from an employer's perspective," he said. " It gave tremendous insight into the dedication my employee not only gives her company, but the country she serves."
(FROM NAVY INFORMATION BUREAU 518)