It’s a pretty sweet Saturday when you get to fly in a helicopter, ride in a Humvee and shoot paintball guns, which is exactly what I was most excited for when attending the North Idaho Boss Lift for the U.S. Army.
But the day was not just about checking tasks off a bucket list.
The Boss Lift is a day hosted by the National Guard and Army Reserve, in coordination with Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. It is intended to show appreciation for employers who support and work with members of the guard and reserves. At the same time, employers are able to gain insight to their employees’ lives as members of the military.
Even though it is a daylong event, the insight gained can be nothing more than a scratch at the surface of what it actually requires to be a dedicated solider — there’s simply too much that goes into it. Minimum exposure or not, the experience was educational and I left with more respect for people who are strong enough to enlist than when the day began.
There were three stations, plus the helicopter and Humvee rides and lunch. At the three stations we learned combat formation and communication, medical techniques used in the field and a crash course in weapons.
It’s amazing the skill and hours of training required to successfully complete all these tasks. And that doesn’t even consider the pressure that must go with it. One mistake can completely affect the whole group. But they didn’t seem fazed.
At any moment, they could be called into active duty — and they do it. They are prepared for whatever they might encounter whether it’s proper formation for combat, pulling the lever on a .50 cal machine gun (which is absurdly hard) or inserting an IV in the field. Regardless of how one feels about war, these soldiers are impressive and for that they should be recognized.
Not only that, they were excited to be able to show their appreciation to employers who hire them once they have returned from active duty or are patient and understanding when they have to leave while holding a job. The most startling piece of information was that 23 percent of veterans are unemployed within the 10 percent of the national unemployment rate.
It’s disheartening to hear that people who risk their lives in the most literal way have such a difficult time acquiring employment once they have returned from deployment or retired from service. Some states, including Idaho, are taking steps to correct this problem and it seems there are forces at work to hedge the trend.
The Boss Lift was intended to show appreciation for employers, and to have those experiences was an incredible opportunity, but in the end the appreciation should still go to those who serve in our military. It can’t be an easy life, yet it’s a life they volunteer to live on behalf of everyone else and for that they deserve far more than a simple thank you.
Elizabeth Rudd can be reached at [email protected]