Local employers invited for Boss Flight

For one weekend each month and two weeks each year, members of the Montana National Guard and Reserve stand to post and train for the times when they are called up to serve their communities and nation. In addition to their monthly and annual service commitments, soldiers of the Guard and Reserve can be called up by the governor for natural disasters and other emergencies and can be deployed to battlefields and theaters of operation across the globe.

To help familiarize local employers with the advantages of hiring service members and veterans, as well as the legal aspects involved in military employment, Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve is bringing the Boss Lift program to Libby on June 23.

Libby is home to Detachment One of the 639th Quartermaster Supply Company, with approximately 30 local service members. The soldiers are mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters and vital parts of the community.

“It gives me the opportunity to give back, to serve my country and my community,” Staff Sergeant Amy Good said.

While serving provides training opportunities and a second income to the members, it can also create issues with scheduling for employers, especially smaller businesses with limited staffing flexibility.

Helping service members, veterans and employers navigate these challenges is the mission of Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve. The Boss Lift is one way the group shows employers what service members do for their communities and their country.

A detachment from the 1-189th Aviation unit in Helena will fly Chinook and Blackhawk helicopters to Libby for the event. Local business owners, with priority shown to those employing Guard and Reserve soldiers, will be invited to board one of the helicopters and see first-hand the training and skills of Montana’s soldiers.

“This is a great opportunity to show employers what the Guard and Reserve members do at the armory every month,” said Chris Hindoien, the volunteer chairman of Montana’s Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve group.

This year the group will be performing five Boss Flights in Montana. In addition to Libby, flights will be held in Billings, Havre, Dillon and Miles City.