Air Force Reserve lieutenant colonel, IBM consultant deploys in support of GWOT

Courtesy Photo | Air Force Reserve Lt. Col. Michael E. Howard is currently deployed to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). Howard is the deputy commander of the 386th Expeditionary Operations Group at a forward-deployed location in Southwest Asia.  

(UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)

05.08.2006

Courtesy Story

DVIDS Hub       

by Spc. Jennifer Sardam
USCENTCOM PAO/ESGR Forward Team

SOUTHWEST ASIA - Air Force Reserve Lt. Col. Michael E. Howard is currently deployed to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), the official name given to military operations from Afghanistan to the Horn of Africa (HOA), in support of the Global War on Terror.

Howard is the deputy commander of the 386th Expeditionary Operations Group at a forward-deployed location in Southwest Asia.

Active duty and reserve component members from all branches of the U.S. armed forces are deployed under the U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) to support the war against global terrorism outside the borders of the United States. USCENTCOM is the unified command responsible for U.S. security interests and assets in 27 nations stretching from the HOA, through the Arabian Gulf region, and into Central Asia.

With 25 years in the military, this is Howard's second deployment to the USCENTCOM area of operations.

When he is stateside, Howard is one of five mission flow directors in the 18th Air Force Tanker Airlift Control Center, Command and Control Directorate at Scott Air Force Base, Ill. In this capacity, he manages the "Air Mobility Command's mission flow based upon the commander's direction, available assets, required delivery dates and mission priorities."

As a civilian, he is based out of Endicott, N.Y., as a business consultant for IBM, working in the vicinity of his St. Louis hometown, where he spends "80 percent" of his time traveling and working to solve customers" problems at their locations.

Today, more than 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. Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) is the primary resource for information about the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, commonly known as USERRA. This federal law allows Howard and other mobilized reserve component members to retain their rights, when the deployment concludes.

Established in 1972, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a DoD agency, provides free USERRA education, consultation, and if necessary, mediation for employers of Guard and Reserve employees. 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. 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]

Although he is half a world away, the lieutenant colonel expressed that his employer of 5-1/2 years supports him and his family and helps him feel closer to home. "They're very proactive about contacting me," declared Howard, adding that the company has helped his wife, Marguerite, feel comfortable asking them for help while her husband is away.

Howard is the son of Mary A. Fleer of Villa Ridge, Mo.

ESGR

• Date Taken: 05.08.2006
• Date Posted: 05.08.2006 17:32
• Story ID: 6309
• Location: (UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)