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Tales from the North: How a Handful of ESGR Volunteers Support Northern Arizona's Citizen Soldiers E3

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Tales from the North: How a Handful of ESGR Volunteers Support Northern Arizona’s Citizen Soldiers E3

Arizona ESGR has volunteers across the state who support local businesses and those in the Guard and Reserve. In this episode, we get together with Larry Jacobs, the northern Arizona section chairman for ESGR and longtime volunteer Larry Gray. They discuss the unique makeup of northern Arizona and the challenges of serving such a large and diverse region.

Northern Arizona is one of the most unique and diverse areas of our nation. Learn about the businesses that employ and support Guard and Reserve members in this sprawling area and how ESGR assists them and our Citizen Soldiers.

ESGR, a Department of Defense program, was established in 1972 to promote cooperation and understanding between Reserve Component Service members and their civilian employers and to assist in the resolution of conflicts arising from an employee’s military commitment. ESGR is supported by a network of more than 3,300 volunteers in 54 committees located across all 50 states.

Larry Gray was raised in Albuquerque and came to Phoenix after high school and joined the Marines in 1965. He served four years including 18 months in Vietnam with a mortar battery. He served 37 years with the Phoenix Police Department retiring as a lieutenant in June 2006. He became a part-time police officer for the Prescott Police Department in 2009 and retired in 2019.

Larry volunteers as a delivery driver for Prescott Meals on Wheels and also delivers items for People who Care. Earlier this month, Larry was named Prescott Area Leadership’s Man of the Year for his volunteer activities.

Larry has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Administration of Justice from Arizona State University and a Masters of Arts Degree in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University. He holds a certificate from Arizona State University as a Certified Public Manager.

Larry T. Jacobs has been the Northern Arizona Section Chairman since June 2015 and prior to that served as an ESGR Employer and Military Outreach Coordinator. He also serves as an ESGR Ombudsman mediating issues between service members and their employers, USERRA trainer and ESGR Boss-lift Coordinator for the State of Arizona.

The Northern Arizona Section Chairman oversees ESGR activities in the Northern State of Arizona and supervises the activities of eight ESGR Employer and Military Outreach Coordinator volunteers. He is responsible for scheduling activities in the presentation of ESGR Statements of Support (SOS), Patriotic Supervisor Awards, ESGR Job Fairs, USERRA Briefings for Employers and Service Members and other activities that promotes programs and policies that address all family and employer issues for members of the National Guard and Reserve Programs in the Northern section.

In Mr. Jacobs previous positions in the active duty military for 4 years in the Air Force and 21 years in the Arizona Air National Guard as Traditional Guardsman has given him a great deal of knowledge and understanding in the mission of the National Guard and Reserve Components members. He also spent 34 years as a member of the Phoenix Police Department in senior leadership positions as a Command level Police Officer.

Mr. Jacobs completed 4 years of active duty service as a NCO in the United States Air Force as a Crew Chief and Flight Engineer on C-130 E aircraft and 21 years of service in the Arizona Air National Guard as a Crew Chief and Maintenance Supervisor on KC-135 A & E aircraft as a Senior NCO in the Maintenance Operations Center at the 161st ARW as a Traditional Guardsman with supervision, training and policy development responsibilities. He is a Vietnam and Desert Shield / Desert Storm Veteran.

Mr. Jacobs has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Industrial Technical Education from Arizona State University and a Masters of Arts Degree in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University. He also holds a certificate from Arizona State University as a Certified Public Manager.

Follow Arizona ESGR on LinkedIn and Facebook.

About Your Co-Hosts

Dan Irving is Arizona State Chair of Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve. During a 38-year career in the Arizona National Guard, he served as the Arizona Air Guard’s Command Chief Master Sergeant and the senior enlisted advisor to the Arizona Adjutant General.

Today, Dan owns and operates Irving Management Solutions, a consulting company specializing in aviation Part 145 FAA repair stations.

Mike Phillips is the public affairs director for Arizona ESGR. He is a Marine Corps veteran who spent a career in journalism and municipal communications.

Mike is a freelance writer and co-founder of the Arizona Baseball Legacy and Experience, an organization that celebrates the state’s rich baseball history.

About ESGR

Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve is a Department of Defense agency run almost entirely by volunteers. Its mission is to support Citizen Soldiers and those who employ them. It seeks to promote a culture in which all American employers support and value the military service of their employees.

About the “We All Serve” Podcast Series

Members of the National Guard and Reserve are making a difference every day near home and around the world. The ESGR podcasts celebrate that service and the employers who support our “Citizen Soldiers” and their vital contribution to our national defense.