Mayor honored for support of Reserve and Guard personnel

Date: 1/11/2011

Jan. 12, 2011

By G. Michael Dobbs

Managing Editor

CHICOPEE — Mayor Michael Bissonnette said he accepted an award noting his support of city employees who are members of the reserve military last week on behalf of all of the businesses in the city.

Bissonnette was presented The Patriot Award from Col. Robert Swain Jr., the commander of the 439th Airlift Wing at Westover Air Reserve Base (WARB) on Jan. 4.

Bissonnette said, "It's important that businesses in this community recognize the wonderful partners we've had at Westover for over 50 years.

Kimberly Babin, director of the city's Veteran Services office, nominated the mayor. Babin is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force Reserve and also works at the Airman and Family Readiness Center at WARB.

Earl Bonett, the area chair for the Massachusetts Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve, explained his organization promotes employer support of the Guard and Reserves across the state as well as acting as mediators between the military and businesses.

Bonett said this was the third such award that has been made in Western Massachusetts so far this year and he explained the current use of Reserve and Guard personnel to support military operations in the Middle East has placed "a tremendous strain on employers and a strain on the families of service members."

He explained that not all employers support their staff members in the military and while federal law protects the civilian job it does so only as long as the job is still offered. The law doesn't protect service e personnel whose jobs are lost through layoffs while they are serving their country.

He added federal law also prohibits discrimination in the hiring of reservists and members of the National Guard, although employers so inclined not to hire a member of the military usually find another reason to pick other candidates, Bonett said.