Borg Warner Auto takes care of their deployed military employees

Courtesy Photo | Sgt. 1st Class Wayne H. Phillips, an employee of Borg Warner Auto located in Water Valley, Miss., is currently deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan, with the 1-114th Field Artillery unit out of the Mississippi Army National Guard.  

03.24.2006

Courtesy Story

DVIDS Hub       

by Sgt. 1st Class David McCrary

Sgt. First Class Wayne H. Phillips, an employee of Borg Warner Auto located in Water Valley is currently deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan, with the 1-114th Field Artillery unit out of the Mississippi Army National Guard.

Phillips, a native of Water Valley, has been employed with Borg Warner for 14 years while his military career spans 24 years. According to Phillips, the support that Borg Warner shows for their military employees really makes the separation of deployment easier for him, his wife Bennia, and their two children Mircous and Cass-Dewayne.

Sgt. First Class Phillips serves as a Squad Leader with Force Protection, guarding personnel and installations during his current deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), a function of the U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM).

Located at MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa, Fla., USCENTCOM 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 (CENTCOM) 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.

Phillips proudly serves his country during the Global War on Terrorism but is looking forward to coming home and returning to his job at Borg Warner as production line set up.

Phillips indicated that his employer has stayed in regular contact with him and his family throughout this deployment, as well as helped out in other ways.

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

Phillips is shown here leading a motorized patrol of U.S.-run safe houses in downtown Kabul, Afghanistan.

• Date Taken: 03.24.2006
• Date Posted: 03.24.2006 12:47
• Story ID: 5844