WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- The 445th Airlift Wing hosted more than 40 civilian employers for an Employer Appreciation Day Nov. 2, 2024, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The employers came from locations to include Michigan, Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana and various parts of Ohio to see exactly where their Air Force reservist employees work and what they do on unit training assembly weekends.
Employer Appreciation Day gives 445th AW reservists the opportunity to honor their employers. That support ranges from allowing for flexibility regarding military service to fostering a work environment that is military friendly.
This year's Employer Appreciation Day was an opportunity for the wing's leadership to personally thank Reserve Citizen Airmen employers for their support. Members of the Ohio Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) were on hand to brief the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Act (USERRA) and answer questions.
Employers were treated to breakfast and lunch and had the opportunity to participate in various demonstrations by the 445th Operations Support Squadron’s Aircrew Flight Equipment, 445th Security Forces Squadron, 445th Aeromedical Staging Squadron and a C-17 Globemaster III flight with 445th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron Airmen on board providing demonstrations of what they do and allowing the employers to participate as patients.
Events like Employer Appreciation Day enhance positive relationships between service members and their civilian counterparts.