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 | Nov. 8, 2011

JSLC: Citizen-Warrior unemployment rate unacceptable, effective reintegration essential, Panetta says

By Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill National Guard Bureau

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - Reintegration, family support, attacking Guard member unemployment and minimizing uncertainty about deployments are key parts of taking care of Citizen-Warriors, the secretary of defense said here Tuesday.

"As secretary of defense, I consider it my highest responsibility to protect those who have defended this country, and I want you to convey to all of your Guardsmen back home that I will fight for them in Washington, just as they have fought for us wherever duty has called," Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta told the National Guard's 2011 Joint Senior Leadership Conference.

The secretary has been fighting for Guard members beyond Washington: He fights for jobs for Citizen-Warriors when he travels, including during a recent meeting with employers in New York.

Unemployment among members of the National Guard and Reserves was at 13 percent earlier this year.

The unemployment rate among junior enlisted Guard members and Reservists has hit 23 percent.

"The Department [of Defense] is working hard to connect employers with talented service members, supported by more than 4,700 volunteers who help communicate with our men and women in uniform about employment resources," Panetta said.

Safeguarding Guard members' jobs when they are deployed also is critical, he said.

"Our employer support programs work hard to make sure that those called to duty have the peace of mind that their job will still exist when they return home," he said.

Uncertainty about deployment can affect employment. Sometimes, Guard units are mobilized and Guard members leave jobs or school, end leases and move families - only to find their deployment is cancelled because of changed operational needs, a practice known as "off-ramping."

"I know how disruptive it is for Soldiers and Airmen who have made major commitments when they are mobilized," Panetta said.

"I am committed - along with the leadership of the National Guard - to avoiding this practice where possible and to provide suitable alternative missions and other mitigation for units and individuals whose lives are disrupted.

"These men and women have made a major commitment to our country, and we owe it to them to avoid unnecessary hardship and ensure their quality of life. That is the sacred obligation the American people owe to all our Guardsmen."

Adequate pre- and post-deployment support of Guard members and families is another piece of the mosaic of service member care.

"Through the Department [of Defense's] Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program, we are striving to ensure that Guardsmen, their families and their employers are properly prepared for their deployments and that they have access to services, referrals and proactive outreach throughout the mobilization cycle."

 

 

Related Articles
U.S. Soldiers assigned to the 108th Medical Company Area Support, 213th Regional Support Group prepare dummies for a simulated casualty evacuation at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania, July 17, 2025. The 108th Medical Company engaged in a weeklong field medical exercise to validate their readiness and elevate their medical and basic Soldier skills. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Capt. Christopher Booker)
Pennsylvania Guard Medics Simulate Chaos in Exercise
By Capt. Christopher Booker, | July 18, 2025
FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. - Soldiers assigned to the Pennsylvania National Guard's 108th Medical Company Area Support, 213th Regional Support Group, are engaged in a comprehensive two-week field medical exercise here.The...

Nevada Air National Guard's 152nd Maintenance Group and 152nd Logistics Readiness Squadron personnel load Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) equipment onto MAFFS #8, aircraft #554 at the Nevada Air National Guard Base on July 12, 2025. U.S. Northern Command activated two Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) Aircraft, one from the 152nd Airlift Wing out of Reno, Nevada, and one from the 146th Airlift Wing out of Channel Islands Air National Guard Station in California. Two C-130 aircraft equipped with MAFFS and their associated personnel will support firefighting efforts in the Western United States. The 152nd Airlift Wing’s “High Rollers” and 146th Airlift Wing's “Hollywood Guard” report on July 14, 2025, and will be initially based out of Channel Islands Air National Guard Base in California and are anticipated to be in place through August 14, 2025.
Nevada Air Guard Wing Assists in Firefighting Efforts
By Senior Master Sgt. Paula Macomber, | July 18, 2025
RENO, Nev. – U.S. Northern Command has activated two Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System Aircraft, one from the Nevada Air National Guard’s 152nd Airlift Wing out of Reno, Nevada, and one from the 146th Airlift Wing out of...

Air Force Gen. Steve Nordhaus, 30th Chief of the National Guard Bureau, and Senior Enlisted Advisor John Raines, SEA to the CNGB, join Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Air Force Maj. Gen. Thomas Suelzer, the adjutant general of Texas, for an aerial assessment of flood-affected areas in Central Texas and to visit Guardsmen on duty supporting civil authorities with response efforts, Kerrville, Texas, July 15, 2025. To date, National Guard search and rescue operations, led by the Texas National Guard, have resulted in the rescue of more than 525 Texans. Hundreds of Guardsmen remain on mission to continue working with interagency partners in search and rescue and recovery operations.
Nordhaus, Raines see Heroism, Partnerships in Central Texas
By Master Sgt. Zach Sheely, | July 18, 2025
KERRVILLE, Texas – Early on July 4, almost 30 inches of rain fell within hours across Central Texas’s Hill Country, surging the Guadalupe River and triggering catastrophic flash flooding.Within hours, Texas National Guard...