Oklahoma Reserve soldier, Wal-Mart worker deploys to Southwest Asia

Courtesy Photo | Army Reserve Spc. Troy D. Frazer, a sales associate for Wal-Mart in Durant, Okla., is currently deployed to Southwest Asia as a pay clerk for the Wisconsin-based 376th Finance Battalion, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.  

(UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)

06.20.2006

Courtesy Story

Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve

Photo by Sgt. 1st Class David McCrary, ESGR FWD Team
Story by Spc. Jennifer Sardam, ESGR FWD Team

SOUTHWEST ASIA - Army Reserve Spc. Troy D. Frazer is currently deployed to Southwest Asia as a pay clerk for the Wisconsin-based 376th Finance Battalion.

Frazer is serving in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the official name given to military operations assisting in rebuilding Iraq's economic and governmental infrastructure and training and preparing Iraqi military and security forces to assume full authority and responsibility in defending and preserving Iraq's sovereignty and independence as a democracy.

Despite the challenges of being far from home and family, Frazer said 'the experience of meeting new people" helps ease the distance.

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. The unified command USCENTCOM is 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.

When he is stateside, Frazer is a finance specialist for Detachment 1, 4003rd Garrison Support Unit in Norman, Okla. With two years in the military, this is Frazer's first deployment as a Reserve soldier. In his civilian occupation, the specialist is a sales associate in the electronics department of the Durant, Okla., Wal-Mart, where he has worked for two years.

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 Frazer 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].

The Reserve soldier mentioned a key factor that allows him peace of mind while serving his country is that his local Wal-Mart has "been very supportive of [his] military career."

Frazer, who calls Durant home, has been married to his wife Chelsea for a year. The couple has one child, Matthew, age three months.

ESGR USAR

• Date Taken: 06.20.2006
• Date Posted: 06.20.2006 13:49
• Story ID: 6891
• Location: (UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)