Civilian job database key for understanding needs

Citizen Airman, June, 2004

Reservists from throughout the armed forces began registering their civilian places of employment for the first time with the Department of Defense March 31.

Called the Civilian Employment Information Program, the registration is the first mandatory disclosure by members of the Selected Reserve and Individual Ready Reserve of their civilian employers into a common database.

"This information will be used to meet three different requirements defined by federal law," said Maj. Gen. John J. Batbie Jr., vice commander of Air Force Reserve Command, Robins Air Force Base, Ga. "During activations or presidential mobilizations, the Department of Defense needs to consider the impact on our civilian communities and ensure that reservists fulfilling critical civilian occupations are not kept in service longer than absolutely necessary. Also, we have an obligation to inform those civilians who employ reservists of their rights and responsibilities under the Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act."

The Civilian Employment Information Program culminates a yearlong effort to establish a DOD-wide system to collect information and understand who employs the 1.2 million members of the reserve components.

Air Force Reservists can enter their employer data by going to the new Defense Manpower Data Center Web site at https: //www.dmdc.osd.mil/guardreserveportal.

"Our citizen airmen balance the demands of their military service with those of their families and civilian employers," General Batbie said. "To make the Air Force mission a success, our Reservists go above and beyond the commitments of civilian life. We want to make sure their rights are protected and they can return to their important civilian roles in our communities."

About 75,800 Air Force Reservists train on full- and part-time duty--ready for immediate tasking from higher headquarters. Since Sept. 11, 2001, about one in four Air Force Reservists has been called up at some point. About 6,000 Air Force Reservists are currently mobilized, which means they are on full-time, active-duty status by order of the president. Many other Reservists volunteer to deploy worldwide for missions lasting three months or longer.

According to DOD officials, the Civilian Employment Information database may be used to determine which units or people should be mobilized or demobilized first. Unlike previous military service efforts to voluntarily gather employer data, this new program is mandatory. Reservists and guardsmen who knowingly fail or refuse to provide their employment-related information, or who provide false information, may be subject to administrative action or punishment.

"The Civilian Employment Information Program is an extension of our Reservists' personnel data records," said Col. Michael A. Cleveland, director of personnel, Headquarters AFRC. "This means the information is covered under previous privacy act systems and is closely protected for official use only."

The new database is expected to be used by the DOD staff, the joint staff, the military services staffs, the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve organization, and the Defense Manpower Data Center.

All services will provide unit commanders with compliance reports that will allow commanders to ensure subordinates have entered employer information to the database and that the information is being maintained on at least an annual basis.

"Each branch of the service is setting its own timeline to ensure their reserve component members are entering their information," Colonel Cleveland said. "The final program goal is to have 95 percent of the Selected Reserve and 75 percent of the Individual Ready Reserve registered by the end of 2005."

Once on the Web site, Reservists enter their employment status, employer names, mailing addresses, civilian job titles and total number of years in their current civilian occupations.

Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve staff will not directly contact any employer about a specific individual unless the person asks for assistance with an employer issue. However, ESGR will send general information to employers, including surveys to determine employer attitudes. (AFRC News Service)