November 14, 2003
ROMNEY PROCLAIMS SUPPORT OF THE GUARD AND RESERVE WEEK
President and 50 Governors Sign Proclamation to Honor Guard and Reserve
Joining President George W. Bush and the nation’s 50 governors in honoring our servicemen and women, Governor Mitt Romney today proclaimed the coming week “Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Week.”
“Through their service, National Guard and Reservists play an important role in our efforts to advance democracy, peace and freedom across our nation and around the world,” said Romney. “This week, we ask employers to recognize their sacrifice and commitment.”
To mark this week, companies are encouraged to provide individual statements of support for the National Guard and Reserve, adapt human resources policies to be flexible to individuals serving in the military and consider salary differentials and continuation of benefits for those employees called away to military duty. Companies such as Home Depot, Verizon Communications, and Clear Channel Airports have already donated goods and services to demonstrate their support for servicemen and women and their families.
As the Commonwealth’s largest employer, state government should also help those employees who have been called to active duty, Romney said. He urged the Legislature to pass a proposal that provides state employees on unpaid military leave lost pay and said he looked forward to signing it into law.
“Families across Massachusetts are making sacrifices by having their loved ones away on military duty,” Romney said. “We don’t want them to worry also about paying their bills. This extra help will help ease that burden for state employees.”
During the ceremony, Reverend David Mahn, State Chair of the Massachusetts Committee of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserves, gave the “Above and Beyond” Award to Colonel Thomas J. Foley, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, for the support the State Police have given to the Guard and Reservists mobilized to active duty at home and abroad.
“The National Guard began here in Massachusetts and it is wonderful to have the support of the Governor continue the tradition of support that began here more than 350 ago,” said Mahn.
Present at the ceremony were the 182nd Infantry, 181st Infantry, and the 101 Engineers, which are the oldest units in the United States formed in 1663.
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