The employers who attended the Delaware 2000 Boss Lift on Saturday, Sept. 16, quickly found there are thousands of full-time employees in Delaware who answer the call to serve in the Delaware National Guard and Reserve more than once per month. In fact, since 1989 the downsizing of active military forces has resulted in a need for 13 times more duty days for their citizen soldiers . and for an increased cooperation from full time employers.

Delaware. s Boss Lift 2000 was co-hosted by the Delaware National Guard and the Delaware Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve Committee. The event served to thank employers for their continued support and as a "show & tell" session where they could experience first-hand what their employees do while on military duty.

The employers also saw some things they already knew about. Mainly, by participating in vital community, state and country missions, soldiers and airmen are being armed with valuable skills and practices that improve their contributions in the civilian workforce.

Paul Mulhern, a supervisor at Bell Atlantic, said two of his employees work in signal units for the Delaware Army National Guard and explained that they are two of his best workers. Mulhern and the other employers flew by way of C-130 from the New Castle Air National Guard airstrip in Wilmington to Dover, and then on to Georgetown. From Georgetown, some employers traveled by UH-1 . Huey. helicopter to the Bethany Beach Training Site. Others drove by charter bus to the site.

Lt. Sean Finety and Cpl. Brian Cross of the Wilmington Police Department joked about the rudimentary and inconvenient facilities on the C-130. "Hope I don. t have to go," said Finety. They supervise Sgt. 1^st Class Jose Pacheco of State Area Headquarters Command at his civilian job.

After dividing into three groups, employers were treated to an orientation flight along the beach on a helicopter, a static equipment display featuring actual equipment soldiers and airmen use, a counter drug section where money is tested for drugs and a chance to wear "Fatal Vision" goggles. These goggles simulate different levels of intoxication and employers were challenged to do simple things like walk a straight line, or shoot a basketball while impaired. The last station was the firearms training system. This indoor firing range uses computer simulation to let employer get down in a foxhole to defend against an attack or execute an ambush while firing an M-16A1 semi-automatic weapon. This training equipment allowed each of the employers to attempt up to 150 shots, while registering hits and kills.

Post office supervisors Robert Weidman and Donna White tried their hand at the engagement trainer and were surprised they didn. t register more hits. "It definitely looks easier than it is. I thought I had a lot more kills and hits, but it seemed pretty realistic," said Weidman.

This in-state Boss Lift, held once a year by ESGR, usually hosts between 30 and 40 employer participants, according to Gene Hebert, ESGR president. Each year there is also a national Boss Lift, like the one that went to Jacksonville, Fla., this year.

When planning a Boss Lift event, Hebert said the committee focuses on increasing awareness and, for the most part, will avoid repeat locations and events. "Normally, the biggest challenge is scheduling. Many employers want to come out with us, but due to other work priorities, do not always make it.

"About 10 percent of . no shows. on a drill weekend are attributed to some sort of employer conflict," he said. "By talking with employers, we. re finding that most of them want to do the right thing, and that. s why its so important we keep the lines of communication wide open."

The ESGR program in Delaware seems to be having an impact, according to Hebert, as awareness and support increase, complaints and problems are decreasing and being solved at a lower level. Hopefully, employee contributions will continue to grow, as well, as a result of ongoing cooperation.

As the company executives and supervisors began their transfer back to the civilian world via travel on the Air Guard. s C-130, each had a better idea of what their citizen-soldier employees were giving back to their companies through their guard experiences.