In Focus: Latest employer support newsThis article is featured in the latest In Focus.
On the 26th June Reservists up and down the country wore their uniforms to work, publicly displaying their support for the first ever Armed Forces Day.
The 2nd ever Uniform to Work Day took place on the 26th June 2009, reminding colleagues and employers that Reservists not only play a vital role in the military but also in virtually every walk of life.
The day represented a public demonstration of Reservist support for the first ever Armed Forces Day, which took place on Saturday 27th June. In the words of Colonel Alastair Bruce:
We want to encourage public affirmation, recognition and understanding of the remarkable work these people undertake as volunteers. From beauticians to bus drivers at Alton Towers, artists to auctioneers, supermarket shelf-stackers to AWE scientists; people from all walks of life and occupations have put time aside to train and serve in Iraq and Afghanistan alongside their regular counterparts.”
Since 2003, over 19,000 Reservists have been called up for active duty, making a real and valuable difference all over the world. But they couldn’t have done any of it without the support of their employers, a fact Gordon Brown publicly acknowledged when he hosted a SaBRE-organised reception for the employers of Reservists at 10 Downing Street. The Prime Minister congratulated and thanked the Reserve Forces and their employers across the UK for their valuable contributions:
I don’t think we thank people enough and therefore today we do want to thank you, personally and individually as employers, for what you do. And also to thank all the brave and courageous Reservists, who have most recently had periods of service in some of the most dangerous parts of the world, in Iraq and Afghanistan.”