(BPT) - Since Sept. 11, 2001, more than 800,000 reservists and national guardsmen have been called to leave their civilian life to serve the military full-time, with more than 250,000 pressed into active duty more than once.
A federal law, The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), is intended to give reservists and others in the U.S. Armed Forces employment protections when they return to their civilian jobs.
kAmqFE 4@?7FD:@? 23@FE E96 7656C2= =2H CF?D C2>A2?E] (:E9@FE E96 AC@A6C <?@H=6586[ C6D6CG:DED 2C6 56?:65 E96:C C:89ED E@ C6\6>A=@J>6?E] %9@D6 25G6CD6=J :>A24E65 :?4=F56 C6D6CG:DED :? E96 pC>J[ p:C u@C46[ }2GJ[ |2C:?6D 2?5 r@2DE vF2C5[ 2D H6== 2D E96 }2E:@?2= vF2C5]k^Am
kAm%@ 3C:?8 4=2C:EJ[ E96 (2D9:?8E@?\32D65 #6D6CG6 ~77:46CD pDD@4:2E:@? W#~pX :D @776C:?8 2 7C66 C6A@CE E:E=65 “$6G6? %9:?8D *@FC r:G:=:2? t>A=@J6C |FDE !C@G:56 (96? *@F #6EFC? uC@> |:=:E2CJ $6CG:46]” #6D6CG:DED H9@ 2C6 ?@E 2 4FCC6?E >6>36C @7 #~p H:== 2=D@ C646:G6 2 7C66 D:I\>@?E9 EC:2= #~p >6>36CD9:A[ H:E9 E96:C 7C66 C6A@CE]k^Am
kAm%@ 86E E96 C6A@CE[ G:D:E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]5:D4@G6CC@2]@C8^C@2D6G6?HA4@?A=24QmHHH]5:D4@G6CC@2]@C8^C@2D6G6?HA4@?A=24k^2m]k^Am
kAm%96 C6A@CE @FE=:?6D 9@H 6>A=@J6CD 2C6 C6BF:C65 E@ AC@G:56 C6D6CG:DED H:E9 E96 7@==@H:?8ik^Am
kAm`] !C@>AE C6\6>A=@J>6?Ek^Am
kAma] p ;@3 @7 D:>:=2C DE2EFDk^Am
kAmb] #2E6 @7 A2J 2D :7 4@?E:?F@FD=J 6>A=@J65k^Am
kAmc] #6:?DE2E6>6?E @7 4:G:=:2? 962=E9 :?DFC2?46 2?5 G242E:@?k^Am
kAmd] !6?D:@? 2D :7 4@?E:?F@FD=J 6>A=@J65k^Am
kAme] p44@>>@52E:@?D 7@C 5:D23:=:EJk^Am
kAmf] ~?6\J62C AC@E64E:@? 7C@> 5:D492C86k^Am
kAm“#6D6CG:DED <?@H E92E 5FEJ ?6G6C E2<6D 2 52J @77 2?5 D24C:7:46 :D A2CE @7 E96 ;@3 56D4C:AE:@?[” D2JD r2AE2:? $2>F6= u] (C:89E[ 5:C64E@C @7 E96 #6D6CG6 ~77:46CD pDD@4:2E:@?’D $6CG:46 |6>36CD {2H r6?E6C 2?5 2 7@C>6C &]$] s6A2CE>6?E @7 {23@C 2EE@C?6J H9@ 96=A65 5C27E E96 =68:D=2E:@? E92E 3642>6 7656C2= =2H] “x? 6I492?86 7@C E92E D24C:7:46[ &$t##p 8:G6D 46CE2:? 6>A=@J>6?E C:89ED H96? E96J C6EFC? E@ E96:C 4:G:=:2? ;@3D]”k^Am
kAm“&?7@CEF?2E6=J[ E@@ >2?J 6>A=@J6CD 5@?’E F?56CDE2?5 H92E E96J =682==J >FDE AC@G:56 E@ C6EFC?:?8 C6D6CG:DED] ~FC 2DD@4:2E:@? :D 7:89E:?8 E@ >2<6 DFC6 E9@D6 H9@ D6CG6 E96:C 4@F?ECJ 86E 6G6CJE9:?8 E96J 2C6 6?E:E=65 E@]”k^Am
kAmxC@?:42==J[ E96 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E H2D E96 6>A=@J6C H:E9 E96 >@DE &$t##p 4@>A=2:?ED :? a_``[ 244@C5:?8 E@ &]$] {23@C s6A2CE>6?E DE2E:DE:4D] %96 5:C64E@C @7 E96 &]$] ~77:46 @7 !6CD@??6= |2?286>6?E H2D D@ 4@?46C?65 96 :DDF65 2 DE2E6>6?E E@ 7656C2= 286?4:6D C6>:?5:?8 E96> E92E E96C6 :D “K6C@ E@=6C2?46” 7@C &$t##p G:@=2E:@?D]k^Am
kAm(96? 2 ca\J62C\@=5 pC>J C6D6CG:DE C646?E=J 7@F?5 96CD6=7 :? 2 ;@3 5:DAFE6 H:E9 E96 7656C2= 286?4J E92E 6>A=@J65 96C[ D96 EFC?65 E@ E96 #6D6CG6 ~77:46CD pDD@4:2E:@? 2?5 :ED $6CG:46 |6>36CD {2H r6?E6C] k^Am
kAm“(:E9@FE #~p x H@F=5 92G6 366? =@DE[” D2JD E96 C6D6CG:DE[ H9@ 2D<65 ?@E E@ 36 :56?E:7:65] “x H@F=5 92G6 366? 7:C65] x H@F=5?’E 92G6 925 2?J 9@A6]”k^Am
kAm(96? E96 C6D6CG:DE =67E E96 7656C2= 286?4J 7@C 24E:G6 5FEJ[ 96C DFA6CG:D@C E@=5 96C E96C6 H@F=5 36 “?@ AC@3=6>” 86EE:?8 96C ;@3 324< H96? D96 C6EFC?65] qFE E92E DFA6CG:D@C H2D C6A=2465 3J D@>6@?6 H9@ D6?E 96C 2 E6CD6 =6EE6C D2J:?8 D96 >:89E 36 7:C65]k^Am
kAm“x H2D H@CC:65 D:4<[” D2JD E96 C6D6CG:DE]k^Am
kAm$96 D6?E 2? 6>2:= E@ #~p 2?5 C646:G65 2 C6A=J H:E9:? >:?FE6D 7C@> (C:89E] (9:=6 #~p 5@6D ?@E C6E2:? 4=:6?ED :? 7@C>2= =682= 4@F?D6=[ :ED $6CG:46 |6>36CD {2H r6?E6C :D E96 ?2E:@?’D @?=J 6?E:EJ 6I4=FD:G6=J 565:42E65 E@ E96 DFAA@CE @7 C6D6CG6 D6CG:46 >6>36CD 724:?8 =682= 5:77:4F=E:6D] #~p 96=A65 E9:D C6D6CG:DE 7:?5 E96 :?7@C>2E:@? E92E D96 ?66565 2?5 8F:565 96C E@H2C5 C6D@=G:?8 96C :DDF6 :? 2 7C:6?5=J >2??6C]k^Am
kAm“x 4@F=5?’E 36=:6G6 :E[” D2JD E96 C6D6CG:DE] “}@H x H2?E 6G6CJ3@5J @FE E96C6 E@ <?@H 23@FE &$t##p 2?5 E96 C6D@FC46D AC@G:565 3J #~p]”k^Am
kAmk:>8 DC4lVk2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]2C24@?E6?E]4@>^AC:?ED:E6^x>286(C:E6C]2D9In2CE:4=6:5l`egfgU2>Aj>6>36C:5lfac`fQm9EEAi^^HHH]2C24@?E6?E]4@>^AC:?ED:E6^x>286(C:E6C]2D9In2CE:4=6:5l`egfgU2>Aj>6>36C:5lfac`fk^2mV 3@C56ClV_V H:5E9lV`V 96:89ElV`V ^mk^Am
