Campus Life

Texas A&M Part Of New A&M System Affirmation Of Support For National Guard And Reserve Employees

A&M System members are the first academic-based organizations in Texas to sign the ESGR Statement of Support.
By Ann Kellett, Texas A&M University Division of Marketing & Communications May 9, 2022

Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp signed a Statement of Support for the National Guard and Reserve recently at the Sam Houston Sanders Corps Center on the campus of Texas A&M University.

The statement originated with the Austin-based Texas Committee of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a U.S. Department of Defense program.

By signing the statement, Sharp affirmed the A&M System’s commitment to recognize and honor employees who are in the Guard and Reserve and to comply with the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA). The statement also is a pledge to provide managers and supervisors with the tools they need to effectively manage those who serve in the Guard and Reserve, as well as encourage the hiring of guardsmen, reservists and veterans.

“We’re pleased we can again demonstrate our commitment to those Texas A&M System employees who proudly serve in the Guard and Reserve,” said Sharp.

He noted that in 2021, the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service was one of just 15 organizations in the nation to receive ESGR’s Freedom Award for outstanding support of Guard and Reserve employees.

“In signing a Statement of Support this year, we hope to set another example for employers and organizations across Texas on the vital role our Guard and Reserve play in our national defense,” Sharp said.

The U.S. Department of Defense established ESGR in 1972 enhance to cooperation and understanding between Reserve component service members and their civilian employers and to assist in the resolution of conflicts arising from an employee’s military commitment. More than 3,000 volunteers across the nation and in three U.S. territories help employers, Guard and Reserve members and their families through the program.

“In signing a Statement of Support, The Texas A&M University System joins a cadre of Fortune 500 companies, state and federal agencies, and thousands and thousands of America’s employers in demonstrating support for our armed forces,” said David Blackorby, chair of the Texas ESGR committee.

Media contact: Ann Kellett, akellett@tamu.edu

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