CAMP MABRY, Texas – Retired Maj. Gen. Eddy M. Spurgin, the former commanding general of the Texas Army National Guard’s 36th Infantry Division, headquartered here, became the new chairman of the Texas ESGR Committee in Austin, last month.
After graduating from Texas A&M University, Spurgin spent more than 30 years as a citizen-soldier in the Texas Army National Guard, including service in Iraq. He is currently the District Conservationist for the Texas Natural Resources Conservation Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Spurgin replaced retired Maj. Gen. Jerry D. Icenhower, who served as Texas ESGR chairman from 2006-2012, and said he will take over where Icenhower left off.
“I want to continue to foster good communication and interface with national headquarters,” said Spurgin, and will help “move the ball forward with the ESGR mission here in Texas.”
Having been a career guardsman, Spurgin said he understands the unique challenges that arise from service in the military’s reserve components. “I want to be a strong advocate for our employers and our service members,” he said.
The Texas ESGR Committee is the state-level affiliate of the national Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense agency, said John Steele, the program support technician for Texas ESGR. The organization was created in 1972 to increase cooperation and understanding between guardsmen and reservists and their civilian employers, and to help resolve conflicts that arise between the private company’s operations and the employee’s military service.
“ESGR is not a law enforcement agency, but serves as a neutral resource for employers and service members,” said Steele. “The Ombudsman Services Program provides trained mediators to help resolve employment disputes.”
As an organization, ESGR provides outreach to employers and service members, Steele said, including training and materials (at no direct cost) on their rights and responsibilities under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, or USERRA, which is a federal law that provides employment protections for individuals who choose, voluntarily or involuntarily, to service in the uniformed services.
Additionally, ESGR works with companies to help integrate unemployed National Guard and Reserve service members into the workforce, Steele said, including the “Hero 2 Hired” program (www.h2h.jobs), and will recognize outstanding employers through several annual awards issued by the Department of Defense.
The Texas ESGR Committee has about 230 volunteers and full-time staff members throughout the state to build bridges in the community, Spurgin said.
“ESGR is out there, side-by-side with these partners,” Spurgin said. “I’ll provide whatever leadership I can to continue the success of the program here in Texas.”
For more information:
Internet - http://www.esgr.mil/Contact/Local-State-Pages/Texas.aspx
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TXESGR
Twitter - https://twitter.com/TX_ESGR