Why be an ESGR Volunteer?  

I entered the US Marine Corps in 1953 and served on active duty until 1960.   I joined the Marine Corps Reserves and served until my retirement in 1993.

Following my discharge from active service, I entered the law enforcement field and in 1961 I was sworn in as a Police Officer in Massachusetts .  Over the next 21 years I held the ranks of Sergeant, Lieutenant and Captain.  In 1983 I was sworn in as the Chief of Police in Hingham MA and retired as Chief in 2000.  

I first became associated with ESGR in 1984.  The MAESGR invited me on a Boss Lift (Public Safety Officials) in 1988 I joined the MAESGR Committee as a new volunteer.  

The ESGR is different from the one I first joined in many ways.  When I initially joined, there was not a USERRA Title 38, USC Chapter 43; which became law in 1994 and updated in 1996.  

10-15 years ago there was little accountability put on State Committees doing their day to day business and supervision was not as stringent as it is now.  The Committees T/O structures have changed drastically. Committees now have “Full Time Staff”.  In the past, Committees relied totally on volunteers to accomplish the goals and objectives set down by National.  Over time it became an impossible task and the Full Time Staff was overdue.  

Our Country is relying more and more on the Reserve components and that of course triggers USERRA issues.  The need for ESGR volunteers is greater now than ever before.  I will continue to volunteer my service to the ESGR as long as they need me.  

Prospective volunteers should be energetic, reliable, forward thinking and supportive of the goals and objectives of the ESGR.  

As an Ombudsman for the MAESGR, mediating a USERRA issue where the employer and the employee (Guard/Reserve member) can agree in solving the issue short of any involvement by Private Council, DOJ/DOL/VETS is the greatest satisfaction I get from my ESGR service.

Joachim-Ingo Borowski (Ski)