Photo By Sgt. Jennifer Sardam | QATAR - U.S. Navy reservist, Petty Officer 2nd class Benjamin E. Leita, may be away...... read more read more
By Spc. Jennifer Sardam
CENTCOM Public Affairs/ESGR Forward Team
QATAR - U.S. Navy reservist, Petty Officer 2nd class Benjamin E. Leita, may be away from his employer, but he is not forgotten.
Leita, who is currently deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), said his supervisor at Aqua Purification, a water treatment company in his hometown of Victoria, Texas, shows support from afar.
About every 10 days I get a card from my manager, Richard Rogers, and his wife, said Leita. "He asked me if I needed anything, and sent me a big box of homemade beef jerky that I requested."
This is Leita's second deployment. He deployed from 1990 to 1992 on the USS Prairie during Operation Desert Storm. When at home, Leita is a mineman on the USS Avenger based in Ingleside, Texas. While serving in OIF under U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) in Kuwait, he is a customs inspector for the Naval Expeditionary Logistics Support Force (NAVELSF) Customs Battalion PAPA. As a customs inspector, he is responsible for checking that returning military equipment conforms to U.S. Department of Agriculture standards, and that all gear returning with personnel serving abroad under OIF complies with U.S. customs regulations.
USCENTCOM, located at MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa, Fla., is the unified command responsible for U.S. security interests in 27 nations that stretch from the Horn of Africa (HOA) through the Arabian Gulf region, into Central Asia. USCENTCOM is one of nine unified commands in the Department of Defense (DOD).
Central Command's mission includes enhancing regional stability and demonstrating a steadfast commitment to regional security. CENTCOM is also responsible for executing the Global War on Terror in its assigned area of responsibility (AOR), which includes Iraq, Afghanistan and HOA. Other important USCENTCOM activities include humanitarian and security assistance programs, as well as combined training and education opportunities for military members in AOR nations.
OIF began with the liberation of Iraq in 2003, and has resulted in two democratic elections, a constitutional referendum and the development of a professional Iraqi security force. In partnership with the Iraqi government, the coalition forces are helping the Iraqi people defeat terrorists and build an inclusive democratic state. The coalition forces, to include the Iraqi army, are conducting full-spectrum counter-insurgency operations to isolate and neutralize the former regime extremists and foreign terrorists. Coalition forces organize, train and equip Iraqi security forces, in order to create a secure environment that allows the reconstruction process to continue.
The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, commonly known as USERRA, allows Leita and other mobilized military members to retain their rights to return to their civilian jobs following a deployment. Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) is a Department of Defense agency established in 1972. The mission of ESGR is to gain and maintain active support from all public and private employers for the men and women of the National Guard and Reserve. ESGR volunteers provide free education, consultation, and if necessary, mediation for employers of Guard and Reserve employees.
As the 1.2 million members of the National Guard and Reserve continue to perform an increasing number of unique missions that require extraordinary actions on the part of everyday citizens, ESGR will continue to be the information agency for the employers of America's new Minutemen. More information about ESGR Employer Outreach Programs and volunteer opportunities is available at www.esgr.mil, or by calling The National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve at (800) 336-4590.
| Date Taken: | 02.28.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 02.28.2006 14:26 |
| Story ID: | 5542 |
| Location: | QA |
| Web Views: | 98 |
| Downloads: | 31 |
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