An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | Sept. 21, 2006

Guardsman Credits Employer for Looking After His Family

By Gerry J. Gilmore American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON - National Guardsman Scott J. Moser said he and his fellow combat engineers routinely risked their lives while they searched for unexploded roadside bombs in Iraq.

However, Moser didn't worry too much about how his family was faring back home, he said, thanks to AgCountry Farm Credit Service, his civilian employer in Fargo, N.D.

"The company helped me out," Moser, a 38-year-old father of three, said in a recent interview with American Forces Press Service.

Moser was a sergeant in the North Dakota Army National Guard when he deployed in February 2004 for a 13-month tour of duty in Tikrit, Iraq. The noncommissioned officer said his company's senior managers had asked what they could do for him before he left for Iraq.

AgCountry "gave me as much time as I wanted before I got deployed to be home with my family to get things in order," Moser said.

During Moser's deployment his company provided the difference between his military pay and his normal civilian pay. Moser said company officials also assisted his wife in resolving pay and medical issues while he was overseas.

"Financially, my family didn't have to be concerned about any change in cash flow or anything like that while I was gone," Moser said.

Asked if his company's assistance had helped to free his mind of financial worries while he was in Iraq. Moser's one-word answer was, "Definitely."

AgCountry Farm Credit Service, a business that provides loans to farmers and ranchers, is one of 15 U.S. businesses chosen to receive the 2006 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award. Moser nominated his company for the award.

The company's chief executive, Eugene Smestad, is slated to accept the DoD award at a Sept. 21 ceremony in Washington, D.C.

The Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award recognizes U.S. employers that rise above the requirements of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. The National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, a DoD agency, manages the award process.

ESGR helps Guard and reserve members and their employers understand employee eligibility and job entitlements, employer obligations, benefits and remedies under the act.

 

 

Related Articles
Soldiers from the 138th Operational Fires Command integrate with 41st Field Artillery Brigade and U.S. Army V Corps during Command Post Exercise hosted in both Fort Knox, Kentucky, and Camp Kosciusko, Poland, early May 2025.
Kentucky Army Guard Completes Exercise with V Corps
By Capt. Cody Stagner, | May 30, 2025
POZNAN, Poland — Soldiers from the 138th Operational Fires Command (OFC), Kentucky Army National Guard, recently participated in a corps-level Command Post Exercise (CPX) with U.S. Army V Corps, held in early May at both Fort...

U.S. Air Force Capt. Isaac Tian, a cyber operations officer with the 262nd Cyber Operations Squadron, Washington Air National Guard, analyzes data for evidence of adversary indicators of compromise on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., April 6, 2025. Tian is among the first Air National Guard members to be selected under a newly established direct commission program for cyber professionals.
Washington Airman Selected for Direct Commission in Cyber
By Airman 1st Class Jordaan Kvale, | May 30, 2025
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Washington – Capt. Isaac Tian, a cyber operations officer with the 262nd Cyber Operations Squadron, is among the first Air National Guard members selected under a newly established direct commission...

U.S. Air Force Chief Warrant Officer 2 Robert Peck, officer of information technology with 242nd Combat Communications Squadron, Washington Air National Guard, operates a small unmanned aircraft system during Exercise Phoenix Dawn 2025 at Saylor Creek Range near Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, May 6, 2025. The 194th Wing's inaugural class of Warrant Officers are paving the way by re-establishing the role in the Air Force and setting standards for future generations.
Washington Air Guard’s Warrant Officers Pave Way
By Airman 1st Class Jordaan Kvale, | May 29, 2025
CAMP MURRAY, Washington – The 194th Wing’s warrant officers are not only breaking new ground — they’re laying the foundation for generations to come.For the first time in more than 65 years, the Air Force reintroduced warrant...