Res-care residential instructor swaps teaching for protecting forces overseas

Courtesy Photo | N.M. Army National Guard Spc. Christopher Casey is serving in Qatar with the 111th Air Defense Artillery.  

QATAR

05.24.2006

Courtesy Story

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Story and Photo by Sergeant 1st Class David McCrary, ESGR Forward Team

QATAR - Army National Guard Spc. Christopher V. Casey is currently deployed to Qatar in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, the official name given to military operations from Afghanistan to the Horn of Africa in support of the Global War on Terror.

Being away from his family has proven most difficult for this family man but he stays in constant contact with them by phone and e-mails. "I talk to them every day," he declared. Staring off into the distance, he commented with a smile, "My daughter sings me songs she learns over the phone â?¦ and my son takes pictures to school showing and telling everyone what I do."

According to Casey, his family is very proud of his service in the Global War on Terror and that helps with the hardships of an overseas deployment.

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

In Qatar, Casey serves as a security forces specialist with the 111th Air Defense Artillery assigned as force protection. The Army Specialist has served in the military for six years and this is his first deployment overseas.

In his civilian occupation, Casey works with disabled clients as a residential instructor with Res-care New Mexico. Some of his responsibilities include providing nutritional training, behavioral therapy, and speech therapy. He expressed appreciation to his employer who is there for him. "Thanks for being so positive toward me since I've been gone," he stated. "They made sure I knew my job would be waiting when I return and I am looking forward to it," Casey asserted.

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 Casey 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].

Casey joined the military to serve his country and gain from the benefits it offered him.

"I feel this deployment has given me a chance to be a part of something important that's going on in the world" he proudly stated "and it has taught me great patience." He added that attention to detail and careful observation, skills practiced while on this deployment, will enable him to be a better employee for Res-care.

Casey, who calls Roswell, N.M. his home, is married to Cynthia and has two children, Nathaniel, 8 and Nicolette, 5.

ESGR

• Date Taken: 05.24.2006
• Date Posted: 05.24.2006 09:51
• Story ID: 6494
• Location: QA