Armed Forces News

Under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, reserve and National Guard troops who are deployed are guaranteed their previous civilian jobs or similar jobs with the same level of benefits when they return. To administer the USERRA, the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve maintains 4,200 volunteers to educate employers throughout the country. Points of contact are posted in all Guard and reserve centers, and the names and numbers of state representatives are available on the organization’s Web site. In most cases, a reserve-component member can solve a problem by making a phone call to an ESGR representative, said a DoD official. The representative then will meet with the employer to explain the USERRA. If the effort fails, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel can bring suit against a federal employer, and the Justice Department can bring suit against a civilian employer.