Postmasters Vow to Support Guardsmen, Reservists

Sept. 4, 2008

Dale Goff Jr., president of the National Association of Postmasters of the United States, displays the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Statement of Support he signed Aug. 27, 2008. An additional 400 postmasters signed Statements of Support at the ESGR booth during the NAPUS national conference that took place Aug. 23-28, 2008, in St. Louis. Photo courtesy of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve

WASHINGTON (American Forces Press Service) - Minutes after terrorists slammed a hijacked commercial airliner into the Pentagon six years ago, Army Lt. Col. Brian Birdwell thought he was going to die.

WASHINGTON (American Forces Press Service) – The National Association of Postmasters gave Guardsmen and reservists its full backing last week when the organization’s president signed an Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Statement of Support.

Dale Goff Jr., president of the association, signed the statement Aug. 27.

“The NAPUS organization is proud to demonstrate our support of Guard and reserve members by signing the Statement of Support. Several of our members are in the Guard or reserves and many supervise employees that are military members,” Goff said. “We encourage all postmasters to sign, and proudly display, a Statement of Support for their office.

“By signing, you show support for those who choose to serve in the military and for their contribution to the defense of this great nation,” he added. “It is our goal to ensure the U.S. Postal Service is a military-friendly employer.”

When the ESGR Statement of Support was signed, U.S. Postal Service joined thousands of America’s employers in pledging to:

-- Fully recognize, honor and enforce the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act;

-- Provide managers and supervisors with the tools they need to effectively manage employees who serve in the National Guard and reserves; and

-- Continually recognize and support the country’s servicemembers and their families in peace, in crises and in war.

The National Association of Postmasters of the United States is a professional organization for all postmasters, with a mission to represent, promote and protect postmasters.

“This is a significant event not only for the U.S. Postal Service, but [also] for all federal civil service employees. The federal government is the largest employer of National Guardsmen and reservists in the country,” Thomas F. Hall, assistant secretary of defense for reserve affairs, said. “I’m asking all of America’s public employers to reaffirm that their current human resources policies are a leading example of compliance with Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act.

“The National Association of Postmasters joins a cadre of Fortune 500 companies, national employer associations and federal agencies in publicly demonstrating support for our armed forces,” Hall continued. “By signing the Statement of Support, Mr. Goff is sending a clear message to the employees of the U.S. Postal Service that while they are serving their country, they do not have to worry about their civilian jobs.”

ESGR, a Defense Department agency, works to promote understanding between employers and their military employees. It provides volunteers who offer mediation and education services to employers, Guard and reserve members and their families regarding the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act.

The agency also is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.

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