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thedrifter
06-10-03, 05:58 AM
June 09, 2003 <br />
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Returning reservists assess damage to civilian careers <br />
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By Sandra Block <br />
USA Today <br />
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Thousands of citizen soldiers charged with rebuilding Iraq face an even more daunting...

thedrifter
06-10-03, 05:58 AM
Susan Croniser’s biggest challenge now is finding a place for herself and her two children, Lauren, 10, and Zachary, 14, to live. They have to move off the farm by July, and she doesn’t want to buy a home until her husband returns. And that’s proving much more difficult than selling the cows. “There are places in town that are empty, but people don’t want to rent, they want to sell,” she says.

• Merit pay. For some professionals, an extended deployment can cost them a much-needed raise. Many companies award salaries based on merit, not seniority, says Capt. Samuel Wright, who helped write the 1994 job-protection law. And when a worker has been gone for months, companies may argue that they have no way to evaluate performance.

Wright, an ombudsman for the Reserve Officers Association, says he recently talked with an insurance executive in his 50s who was told he was ineligible for a raise after a year of active duty in the Army Reserve. The decision could affect his pension, based on his top five earning years. “There’s a huge amount at stake,” Wright says.

• Job turnover. The average U.S. worker changes jobs 10 times, according to the Department of Labor. That worries some members of the part-time military, who fear the prospect of deployments will make it harder to find a job.

Rep. John McHugh, R-N.Y., who led a delegation earlier this year to meet with reservists and Guard members stationed in Europe, says several told him they’re omitting their military service from their resumes. One reservist who is a business owner told the group he wouldn’t hire a reservist or Guard member, McHugh says.

In the days after Sept. 11 and during the conflict in Iraq, many employers were eager to support citizen soldiers. But some service members fear patriotism will wane as Iraq fades from headlines, even though many citizen soldiers will remain on duty for months.

Patrick Kirby, a Spokane attorney and former Navy lieutenant who specializes in employment law, recalls advising a human resources manager about the rights of a reservist who wanted to take 90 days off for active-duty training. The manager said she thought workplace protections were limited to wartime. This was in February 2002, just five months after the Sept. 11 attacks, he says.

“It was kind of shocking that there were still people who didn’t get it,” Kirby says. “We’re in a very dangerous world. We really need to rally around these service members who are putting their lives and fortunes on the line for us.”



Sempers,

Roger

Devildogg4ever
06-10-03, 05:07 PM
Any and every time I read something like this fires me up, bad! Anything negative like this for any military, reserves, to full active on the front line, is totaly screwed up and wrong! America is always built up to be THE country, which is great. The military is a big part of making America THE country, yet are not treated as such! I'm sitting here wondering why even a site like this one, with as many voices (members) couldn't help do something! Then it hit me. I felt like I was someone with a constant brain-fart for not realizing it sooner. I bet half of us don't recieve what we rate! So that tells me our voices would be nothing more then a soft gust of wind on a hot, humid summer day! In other words, it would be like trying to shove melted butter, with a hot iron, up a wildcats a**! That sucks! :mad:

wrbones
06-10-03, 10:44 PM
http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/


It's a part of what I do when things need to be dealt with. It's even worked one or twice.

wrbones
06-11-03, 02:39 AM
We do what we can for each other around here. We're still Marines. From hospital visits to helpin get yer VA paperwork sorted out to helpin' a Marine get stuff fer a computer, to folks speakin' at pro-troop rallies. That's just some of the things I know about!

Semper Fidelis,

Devildogg4ever
06-11-03, 04:29 PM
No doubt, bones! I didn't mean it that way. What I am saying is, if we can't get what we need, it would be hard to get anyone else what they need! If anyone took it anyway other then that, I apologize!! I would never down this site or the members in it! Just being able to have a site like this to come to, helps me and others more then most would realize! Semper Fi to ALL!!!

ivalis
06-11-03, 09:06 PM
I don't want to hear any more crying from the reservist. They signed the papers, they took the checks. Bunch of babies.

greensideout
06-11-03, 09:47 PM
I've got to go with ivalis (in part) on this one.

We have several reservist at work that have been called up, they're gone. We have another that just wanted to lay low till it was over. I don't know how that helped him, but he never left. He just wants to draw his check and get his retirement time in.
My view of him? What a dirt bag!

If some reservist feel that they are getting the short end of the stick prehaps they should have considered that they have a duty beyond their personal lives. It's called, DUTY TO COUNTRY.
What comes with that is personal sacrifice.

You've got the check, you've got the retirement at age 60, so to that I say---suck it up!

Devildogg4ever
06-12-03, 04:19 AM
O.K. I see what you 2 are saying, ivalis, greensideout! I didn't realize alot of reservist could be like that. We have 1 reservist where I work. He is about 50 years old , has done 19 years in the reserves, and was totally motivated when he got the call! He is still gone. Have had no word on him, and we are just waiting for him to come back. We have about 7 vets where I work and I am the only Marine! Thanks for opening my eyes. I don't realize as much, seeing how I only know 1 reservist! Thanks again. Semper Fi!! :)

Catz1611
06-12-03, 04:59 AM
Originally posted by greensideout
I've got to go with ivalis (in part) on this one.

We have several reservist at work that have been called up, they're gone. We have another that just wanted to lay low till it was over. I don't know how that helped him, but he never left. He just wants to draw his check and get his retirement time in.
My view of him? What a dirt bag!

If some reservist feel that they are getting the short end of the stick prehaps they should have considered that they have a duty beyond their personal lives. It's called, DUTY TO COUNTRY.
What comes with that is personal sacrifice.

You've got the check, you've got the retirement at age 60, so to that I say---suck it up! That's it! they signed the papers..they need to suck it up and deal with it ..:bunny: