ARLINGTON, Va. - The Department of Defense's national survey of America's employers of National Guard and Reserve members has reached its half-way point and the Department is urging more participants to make their voices heard.
The Department of Defense National Survey of Employers is designed to gain insight into the benefits and challenges of employing members of the Guard and Reserve by allowing civilian employers to share their experiences.
The Department is asking all employers who received the survey to take the time to fill it out, as their responses will shape future Guard and Reserve policies.
With Guard and Reserve members comprising almost 50 percent of the military's total strength, their service and the support of employers are critically important.
"If we are going to sustain their participation, we need to sustain the support of the employers," said Dennis McCarthy, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs.
"Finding out what we need to do to get that support is of vital national interest," he said.
The Department of Defense National Survey of Employers is the Department's largest study of its kind since September 11, 2001.
The nation has relied heavily on Guard and Reserve service members in the almost 10 years since the attacks, frequently calling them away from their civilian jobs for military operations and humanitarian efforts around the world, including the 2004 tsunami in southern Asia, 2010 earthquake in Haiti and ongoing relief efforts in Japan.
At the time of the survey's release on March 1, Navy Adm. Michael Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, addressed America's employers.
"As we look to the future, I ask for your input to help us shape policies concerning the relationship between our service members and their civilian employers," he said.
"I encourage employers across the nation to take part in The Department of Defense National Survey of Employers. Your feedback will allow us to build on the success of the past and chart a mutually beneficial course for the future," Mullen said.
Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense agency, sent the survey to 80,000 employers.
The sample includes employers of every size and industry, from all across America. The randomly selected participants received a letter in the mail with instructions for filling out the survey online. Survey participants should visit ESGR.mil and click on the survey link to provide their feedback on employing members of the Guard and Reserve.