On July 24, 2020, MedPro Disposal employer Marc Wolfe was awarded the prestigious Employer Patriot Award by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a program of the U.S. Department of Defense. Nominated by Army National Guard and MedPro Disposal employee Chris Oplawski, the award recognizes Wolfe and MedPro Disposal in their strong commitment to hiring and supporting members of the military forces.
By showing their support of employing active members of the Guard and Reserve, MedPro makes it possible for Citizen-Warriors, such as Oplawski, to be active in their days of civilian employment as well as their time in the national defense.
“It is an honor to work alongside Chris and support him and our country. We greatly value Chris as a MedPro employee and appreciate his service for our nation. Military training offers Chris a set of skills he will not learn at MedPro.”, Wolfe said.
For many years, the ESGR’s goal has been to create a nation in which all employers value the important military service of the many Citizen-Warriors in search of civilian employment. As nearly half of the United States Armed Forces is composed of members from the nation’s Guard and Reserve, these citizen soldiers work to find employers who will support and encourage their service in the United States Armed Forces.
“Marc has helped me and been there for me while I was being activated and deactivated nonstop with the pandemic and riots going on. The team always had my back when I was gone, took care of things I was still working on. They reached out to me if they needed help and were patient with me while I may have had delayed responses.”, Oplawski shares.
Civilian employment is a key factor for members of the Guard and Reserve in continuing their ability to defend the nation. While the ESGR strives to create a nation of employers who value citizen soldiers, many companies shy away from employing active Guard and Reserve members. Employers fear that hiring such citizen soldiers will have a negative effect on their business, as these Citizen-Warriors can be called into duty and taken away from their civilian jobs for extended periods of time.
“The company has been there for me since day one, I’ve been with some companies that complained about my service obligations, and it feels good that MedPro has my back and they are willing to work with me through everything.”, Oplawski added.
Established in 1994, the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) protects the rights and responsibilities of members of the National Guard and Reserve and their employers. This act affects the employment, reemployment, and employment benefits of all veterans who have served in the United States Armed Forces. While this act exists to help protect those who have served or are currently serving in the Armed Forces, many employers within the nation do not recognize the workplace value of uniformed service members; they avoid the potential cost of losing a member to the battlefield.
“We value Chris’ experience and what he can bring to our organization. We are pleased to have him as part of our staff and support his efforts.”, shares Wolfe.
By receiving the Employer Patriot Award, Wolfe has revealed his exceptional support for the nation and the Department of Defense. Valuing Oplawski’s service not only demonstrates great patriotism on behalf of MedPro Disposal, but helps to protect the security of the United States of America.
