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After a hectic week of travel in Arizona, I flew back to deploy to Williams Lake with the army.
The B.C. Dragoons are providing manpower to assist with the province’s emergency situation. It is a task that soldiers undertake willingly, but there is another relationship that goes unnoticed by many.
At times like this, the army is called on to lend a hand. The complication comes from the fact that the regiment is a component of the army reserves. We train in preparation for opportunities like this or to augment the military on overseas deployments.
Becoming a member of the reserves and the British Columbia Dragoons requires a commitment in time. Typically, Wednesday evenings during the training calendar and one weekend a month.
Summer often involves taskings at various military bases across the country.
It is a very exciting opportunity for those who see themselves being part of a solution in times like this.
The hidden partner, the one that truly deserves recognition, is the employer. After all the military training, a soldier will often be a very valuable member of a businesses team.
When the province declares an emergency and the federal government receives a request for support, the military kicks in to high gear.
That is the point where our soldiers contact their employer and request leave to go and tackle domestic emergencies or overseas deployments.
To a certain extent, it is a little easier for an employer to support the leave if the emergency is local because they are more affected, but, as in this case, if the emergency is further afield, it is a substantial decision.
To lose a valuable team member for several weeks and work around the natural void and challenges that are created, is no easy task for an entrepreneur.
The military does a good job of recognizing those employers. When we deploy to emergencies, we naturally wear a military uniform and receive thanks for the work because we are recognizable.
However, the employers to a certain extent are unrecognized.
If you know of an employer who has granted leave to one or more staff members to support the efforts to tackle our wildfires, make sure you say thank you to them.
Their sacrifice is no less important.
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