James E. Dicks Jr. named new Florida Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve State Chair

ORLANDO, Fla. - Aug. 16, 2014 - PRLog -- Orlando, FL - Florida Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense (DoD) office, is pleased to announce the selection of James E Dicks, Jr. of Longwood, FL as the new ESGR State Chairman for Florida.

Dicks will take an oath of office and will be sworn in during a formal ceremony in Alexandria, Virginia, August 22.  He will serve with the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs.  The position carries a three-year term and is the equivalent to a military two-star flag officer under DoD protocol.  Dicks will provide leadership and vision for a team of more than 120 dedicated volunteers who are spread all across Florida.

"The ESGR is a key component to promote cooperation and understanding between service members and their civilian employers. With more than 4,700 volunteers, the addition of Mr. James Dicks as part of the ESGR leadership will greatly enhance employer support for military service in the Guard and Reserve." Sergeant Major Bryan Battaglia, Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.

Dicks, a United States Marine no longer on Active Duty and is currently the Founder/President of Information Defense Systems, LLC. He has most recently served the last three years as Florida’s ESGR Employment Initiative Program Director.    He has a long and distinguished record of association with numerous community volunteer organizations.

With almost half of the Nation’s military force serving in the Guard or Reserve, Dicks will have a direct impact on these men and women and their civilian employers.

“The patriotic support of America’s employers and the employees they share with the nation ensures the viability of the all-volunteer force, and thus our national security,” said Dicks “ESGR applauds employers who practice personnel policies that support employee participation in the Guard and Reserve,”

Dicks joins 53 other chairs who oversee the Department of Defense’s ESGR mission in the 50 states and four territories which make up this great nation.

ESGR seeks to foster a culture in which all employers support and value the employment and military service of members of the National Guard and Reserve in the United States. ESGR facilitates and promotes a cooperative culture of employer support for National Guard and Reserve service by developing and advocating mutually beneficial initiatives, recognizing outstanding employer support, increasing awareness of applicable laws and policies, resolving potential conflicts between employers and their service members, and acting as the employers’ principal advocate within DoD.Paramount to ESGR's mission is encouraging employment of Guardsmen and Reservists who bring integrity, global perspective and proven leadership to the civilian workforce.

More information about ESGR employer outreach programs and volunteer opportunities is available at www.esgr.mil, or by calling Michael Thomas Florida ESGR at 407.474.8745.