WASHINGTON D.C. –
Lt. Gen. John Healy, chief of the Air Force Reserve and commander of Air Force Reserve Command, joined other senior Reserve and Guard leaders for a round robin discussion focused on recruiting, retention and industry partnerships at a panel hosted by the Reserve Organization of America’s Citizen Warrior Coalition here March 28.
Healy was joined by Lt. Gen. Jody Daniels, chief of the Army Reserve and commanding general of U.S. Army Reserve Command, Lt. Gen. Jon Jensen, director of the Army National Guard, Gregg Habel, executive director of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Reserve and U.S. Marine Corps Forces North, Rear Admiral Miriam Lafferty, assistant commandant for the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve, and Navy Reserve Force Master Chief Petty Officer Tracy Hunt.
The panel discussion focused primarily on recruiting and retention’s role in maintaining readiness and how partnerships with private sector employers can benefit Reserve Component members with dual careers.
“ROA’s sole purpose has always been national security through a focus on readiness of the Reserve Components,” said Jeff Phillips, ROA executive director, during his opening remarks. “This discussion is an extension of our efforts to promote a force that is ready, that is supported in a robust and continuing fashion by America’s employers.”
Marc Elliott, managing director and global head of military and veterans’ affairs at JPMorgan Chase, served as the moderator and kicked off the panel by asking about recruiting and retention. His questions focused on how corporations and industry partners can help address challenges faced by Reservists while also providing insight into how the Reserve Components can work effectively with companies to develop policies that support Reservists.
“I take myself as an example,” Healy said. “I’ve had a successful career in the airline industry as well as in the military. I think there is good collaboration, but I think there is a lot more to be done. ESGR (Employee Support of the Guard and Reserve) is a wonderful program with regards to protections for individual service men and women, but I think the industry deserves that same protection with regards to hiring Reservists and Guardsmen.
“The culture that I perpetuate in the Air Force Reserve is all about providing the member and the family with stability and predictability so they can pursue both a military career and a civilian career. I think the companies that hire them on the outside deserve that same level of stability and predictability so they will know when they are going to need more help and when they won’t.”
The panel went on to discuss the benefits of sharing talent and practices for collaboration, especially since the Reserve and Guard bring a unique set of skills and talents to the workplace.
“We’re looking at a concept called ‘multi-capable Airmen,’ where we are trying to define how we can leverage a Reservist’s civilian experience into their Reserve duty,” Healy said. “We’re also looking at if there is a means by which industry can take advantage of the skillsets Reservists obtain by being members of the military.”
In addition to recruiting, retention and partnering, the panel discussed a host of other topics, including industry labor gap analysis, certifications, pay, compensation and benefits, health care, professional growth and development, and spouse and family support.
The Citizen Warrior Coalition was established to assist the Reserve and National Guard with their recruitment and retention efforts and to build partnerships with corporate America. The goal is to educate employers on the value of hiring Reserve and National Guard service members and how a strong and ready Reserve force supports national security.