ESGR Bosslift gives employers an inside look at Kentucky Air Guard

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Joshua Horton
  • 123rd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
LOUISVILLE, Ky. --  More than two-dozen civilian employers spent the day with members of the Kentucky Air National Guard March 15, talking to representatives from functional areas across the 123rd Airlift Wing here and receiving a hands-on perspective of the unit’s mission as part of a “Bosslift” sponsored by the Kentucky Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve.

The employers — including a mayor, sheriff’s deputies and Humana executives — also flew on a Kentucky Air National Guard C-130 Hercules aircraft to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, to visit the National Museum of the United States Air Force.

According to Philip Miller, state ESGR chairman, the day’s events were intended to foster “a culture where employers absolutely value the military service and participation in the Armed Forces by their employees.”

“It’s all designed to give them a better appreciation for the reason that their employees have to be gone from their civilian jobs from time to time,” Miller said. “Not only because of their membership in the Armed Forces of the United States, but also their direct participation in the defense of America.”

Activities began with a briefing by U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Stephen Hogan, Kentucky’s adjutant general, who expressed his gratitude to the employers.

After the briefing, the group went to the fuel cell hangar to meet Airmen from several functional areas — including the 123rd Contingency Response Group, 123rd Special Tactics Squadron, 123rd Mission Support Group, 123rd Explosive Ordinance Disposal Flight, Emergency Management and the Fatality Search and Recovery Team — before boarding a C-130 en route to the museum.

Sarah Cook, strategy advancement adviser for Humana, said the day made a lasting impression on her, not only because of the content of the tours, but also for the hospitality displayed by everyone.

“It was truly about just how kind, amazingly informative, polite and warm everybody was,” Cook said. “I feel like that’s what truly made it a unique experience. I was surprised how much attention we got. It made it so easy to ask questions, and I did not expect that at all.

“Sometimes the military can be very formal, but they did an excellent job making the civilians feel comfortable,” Cook added. “It really just gave me an entirely different appreciation for what folks go through and what they do while also being a lot of fun for us at the same time. It was phenomenal.”