The Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve program administrator for Guam/CNMI committee, Capt. Josephine M.P. Blas, said in an interview that there are close to 40 Army Reservists from CNMI with the 100th Battalion.
“In the next few months, another 58 or 60 Reservists will be sent out for deployment,” Blas said.
She said over 100 Reservists in the CNMI serve in the Navy Reserve, the Army National Guard and the Air Force National Guard.
Blas was on Saipan with the ESGR team to conduct a briefing with employers of Reservists.
“Because most of the Reservists were called for deployment right now, it is important for the employers to be aware and be educated on what is expected of them when the Reservists leave their jobs to serve in the military,” she said.
Blas said this is the first briefing of its kind on Saipan.
“We are trying to come up with more briefings to educate members and employers about the law, if possible on a quarterly basis or several times a year,” Blas said.
She added that they are planning to hold another briefing toward the end of the year.
The ESGR team also presented Patriot Awards from the U.S. Department of Defense to 33 employers and establishments on Saipan who showed their commitment to the men and women who are in the National Guard and the Reserves.
“The Patriot Award was created by the National Committee for Employer Support of the guard and reserve to publicly recognize American employers who provide outstanding patriotic support and cooperation to their employees who have answered the call of service,” Blas said.
Among the award recipients were the Commonwealth Ports Authority, the Commonwealth Utilities Corp., the Department of Corrections, the Department of Public Safety’s fire and police divisions, First Hawaiian Bank, GSN/TSA, Hawaiian Rock, Hollywood Theatres-Saipan, Joeten Motors/Marianas Napa Inc., Pacific Oriental Inc. Aviation, the Public School System, Claasens Medical Center on Rota and Unlimited Service Group.
