The Power of Partnerships E8
Nothing gets done in a vacuum. In the latest podcast from Arizona ESGR, retired Army Gen. Jim Combs and National Guard veteran Patrick Kuykendall discuss how collaboration between organizations benefits employers, ESGR and our Citizen Soldiers.
Both Jim and Patrick have built impressive careers as public servants and as advocates for ESGR. They share their life lessons on the power of partnerships and how working together strengthens our national defense.
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, the District of Columbia, Guam-CNMI (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands), Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Volunteers, hailing from small business and industry, government, education, and prior military service bring a vast wealth of experience to assist in serving employers, Service members, and their families. Together with Headquarters ESGR staff and a small cadre of support staff for each State Committee, volunteers work to promote and enhance employer support for military service in the Guard and Reserve.
ESGR has served our country for more than 45 years, fostering a culture in which all employers support and value the employment and military service of members of the National Guard and Reserve in the United States. These citizen warriors could not defend and protect us at home and abroad without the continued promise of meaningful civilian employment for themselves and their families.
ESGR has continued to adapt to meet the needs of Reserve Component members, their families, and America’s employers by joining forces with a network of other national, state, and local government and professional trade organizations. Together, We All Serve!
Jim Combs retired in 2009 from the Army after 42 years in uniform. He is a veteran of both Vietnam and Enduring Freedom campaigns. His key assignments included commanding the California Army National Guard, while deploying over seven thousand troops to Iraq and Afghanistan and serving as the Commanding General of the 40th Infantry Division which deployed thousands of troops to Iraq and Afghanistan.
In October 2015 Jim was appointed as the State Chairmen of California’s Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Committee, which supports fifty-six thousand Guard and Reserve members. In January 2020 he was appointed concurrently as Vice Chair Strategic planning for ESGR Board of Directors.
Jim’s team of volunteers in California strive to build and sustain a strong partnership between reservists and their employers. Jim’s committee also works to reduce unemployment among reservists and when required act as a neutral mediator to resolve conflicts that may arise with employers. His ESGR committee and appointment as ESGR’s strategic planner plays an important role in providing for the wellbeing and readiness of reservists and their employers.
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Army Reserve Ambassador Patrick Kuykendall enlisted in the US Army in 1983. He served on active duty until 1987, when he joined the Arizona Army National Guard. ARA Kuykendall served in a variety of military assignments for the next 18 years, including a deployment in support of Desert Storm.
During those 18 years in the National Guard, ARA Kuykendall was also a small business owner of several companies and multiple properties. He retired from the National Guard in 2005. ARA Kuykendall is very active in many volunteer organizations across Arizona and California.
In June 2019, ARA Kuykendall was selected as the Arizona State Veterans Manager-Workforce. In 2021, ARA Kuykendall will compete in his 15th Bataan Memorial Death March.
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.
Mitch Wentzel has worked for TriWest for two years serving as the Program Manager for Small & Disadvantaged Businesses. His job is to seek out and engage with small businesses that are certified in the following categories: Service Disabled Veteran Owned, Veteran Owned, Woman Owned, Minority Owned or are located in a HUBZone.
