Ohio Army reservist defends her country, receives full employer support

Photo By Sgt. Jennifer Sardam | QATAR - While deployed thousands of miles from home, U.S. Army Reserve Sgt. Tiffanee Mack doesn't have to worry about her job being there when she gets back. 'They are very supportive of the military,' said Mack of her employer, TolTest, Inc., a worldwide U.S.-based small business where she works as an administrative assistant in Maumee, Ohio. 'They gave me a going-away party when I left, sent me a care package once I was deployed, and for Christmas, sent my daughter a care package.'  

QATAR

02.28.2006

Courtesy Story

DVIDS Hub       

By Spc. Jennifer Sardam
CENTCOM Public Affairs/ESGR Forward Team

QATAR - While deployed thousands of miles from home, U.S. Army Reserve Sgt. Tiffanee Mack doesn't have to worry about her job being there when she gets back.

"They are very supportive of the military," said Mack of her employer, TolTest, Inc., a worldwide U.S.-based small business where she works as an administrative assistant in Maumee, Ohio. "They gave me a going-away party when I left, sent me a care package once I was deployed, and for Christmas, sent my daughter a care package."

This is Mack's first deployment as a reservist, but it's been an interesting one so far. Mack said she had the opportunity to meet Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and had her photo taken with her. She sent the digital photo file to her company who used it in their newsletter and mailed neatly framed versions back to her and her family members.

"I thank them for supporting me and being behind me in my time of coming to defend our country," said Mack, of her employer.

Mack is a single parent, whose hometown is Toledo, Ohio. She is in the U.S. Army Reserve's 2nd Psychological Group in Parma, Ohio, and is currently the administrative noncommissioned officer, under Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) in Afghanistan, based under U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM).

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.

In the CENTCOM AOR, OEF encompasses two major missions led by Combined Forces Command Afghanistan and Combined Joint Task Force HOA. Combined Forces Command Afghanistan conducts full-spectrum operations throughout the combined joint operations area to defeat Al Qaeda and associated movements, establish an enduring Afghan security structure and reshape its posture for the Long War, in order to set the conditions for long-term stability in Afghanistan.

Combined Joint Task Force HOA is based at Camp Lemonier, Djibouti, and its mission is to preempt the broader growth of Islamic militancy among the area's largely Muslim population soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines using civil-military operations, humanitarian assistance and military-to-military training to deny terrorists any foothold in the region.

The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, commonly known as USERRA, allows Mack 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 [phone].

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• Date Taken: 02.28.2006
• Date Posted: 02.28.2006 14:35
• Story ID: 5544
• Location: QA