The message matters: high-speed advertising helps program reach employers

Citizen Airman, Dec, 2004 by Jason Tudor

Retired Col. Gene Hebert sat on the short grass 30 feet from the whirlwind of activity inside a pit box at Dover International Speedway. As members of the pit crew danced around the blue-and-silver sedan, Mr. Hebert watched with excitement as the race car sped away, acrid tire smoke in its wake.

For Mr. Hebert, Delaware committee chairman of the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, the pit stop represented a relationship: the pit crew--employers--helping the driver--the employee--during a crucial time period.

Through a partnership with Richard Childress Racing Inc., the NASCAR Busch series car got 200 tries or laps around the Dover track to send its message to the 50,000 or so people gathered Sept. 25 for the Stacker 2 Hundred. Mr. Hebert realizes the visibility of the ESGR car to Delaware business owners in the stands and the racetrack's skyboxes can't be undervalued.

"Delaware's economy depends on a strong work force," Mr. Hebert said. "When we can talk to employers--or communicate with them using methods like this--and help them be satisfied, that's when the ESGR works."

With more than 4,000 Airmen activated, Air Force Reserve Command depends on ESGR to get the word out to employers about their rights and responsibilities during a call-up.

The Department of Defense agency "gains and maintains active employer support for all public and private employers," said Tom Bullock, ESGR public relations manager. It does this "for the men and women of the National Guard and Reserve as defined and demonstrated employer commitment to employee military service.

"When a Reservist is called away from a steady job to serve, tensions can rise between the Airman and the employer," Mr. Bullock said. "In some cases, the employer may not understand the law or the rights given to the employer under the law."

Specifically, ESGR wants employers to understand the Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act. The law governs employment and re-employment rights of Guardsmen and Reservists. That means outreach. Retired Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Bob Hollingsworth leads that outreach. If ESGR is the body that sustains employer relations, then Mr. Hollingsworth is its heartbeat, shaking hands, clapping shoulders and evangelizing the program to whomever he meets.

The former commander of Marine Corps Reserve Support Command stood front and center for the Dover race and extended a hand at a Dover Air Force Base meet-and-greet the night before.

"That's really what it's all about," said Mr. Hollingsworth, appointed by President Bush in 2001 to his current post of executive director of ESGR. "We want to reach employers and ensure they clearly understand that--as we shift out of a Cold War mentality--a lot of the burden shifts onto them."

Mr. Hebert, a 35-year veteran of the Air Force Reserve, said he understands what employers face when an Airmen puts the 9-to-5 on hold for service to country. Sometimes, that means challenges.

"Smaller businesses have a more difficult time than the larger ones, which can absorb the loss of one or two employees," he said. "There's also a lack of predictability. When will the Reservist be back? How long will he be gone?"

The No. 29 NASCAR Busch Series race car, accompanied by its static display twin, accomplishes one part of the outreach. Through five races in California, Delaware, Illinois, Texas, Florida, more than 250,000 spectators have seen the ESGR-sponsored race car make the rounds. Drivers like Tony Stewart, Ricky Craven and, at the Dover race, Kerry Earnhardt, provide the celebrity fuel for the message.

"The race is special for us because we all want to support the Guard and Reserve," said Mr. Stewart after the California race in May.

The sponsorship also racks up television advertising time. Measured by Joyce Julius and Associates, airtime means advertising dollars. During the Dover race, the ESGR-sponsored received 26 seconds of airtime equating to about $20,000 in value, according to Joyee Julius.

When neither car is out in the public eye, the ESGR's 4,500 volunteers and 55 committees are hustling the message elsewhere through the Employer Outreach Program. The program's goal this year was to "partner with local chambers of commerce to host ESGR breakfast forums that are designed to salute local employers who have demonstrated 'above and beyond' support."

Employer Support of Guard and Reserve expected to reach about 10,000 people in 48 states, according to Mr. Bullock. Lt. Gen. John A. Bradley, commander of Air Force Reserve Command, said he wants that outreach to grow even more.

"I'm not sure we've used them as much as we could in the Air Force Reserve. We need to work at being more tied in with ESGR organizations at the state level," the chief of Air Force Reserve said. "It's a very important organization. It's not just a 'feel good' organization that supports the military. It actually helps individuals."

Meanwhile, ESGR presented its Freedom Award to 15 businesses in September. Started in 1996, the Freedom Award is presented by the Department of Defense to recognize the significant contributions and sacrifices made by America's employers of the Guard and Reserve.