How important is the National Guard?

Words: Steven AdamsIn many states, unemployment among Guard members is twice as high as for all veterans as a group and for the general public. Recent furloughs are hurting too, especially for those already looking for jobs.

Hundreds of state National Guard employment counselors are working one-on-one with unemployed Guard members to match them with the job postings generated in this campaign. The postings come in from the participating employers and flow directly to Guard counselors. Guard members receive interview training and learn how their military training relates to civilian jobs. Counselors work with them until they find jobs to support their families. This help is personal and free.

Employers get free help too

Counselors identify Guard candidates whose skills and experiences relate to job requirements and coach employers on how to conduct the most productive interviews with military candidates.

This campaign is so important because the job postings are going directly to Guard counselors working with Guard members looking for work now. In California, for example, only six counselors are working with 2,000 unemployed Guard members. These counselors need the incoming postings to match with vets as quickly as possible.

How can you help?

First, you can share this with friends, neighbors and relatives who may run companies that need to hire great employees. Second, if you work for a company, share this email with your HR staff or manager and ask them to look into the campaign and register online to post jobs. No fees of any kind!

Employers of all sizes from 10 to 100,000 employees are posting jobs for the Guard. Just about every industry is represented too!

Center for America, which is managing this nonprofit campaign, is working in alliance with the Army National Guard under a Memorandum of Understanding signed by Lt. General William Ingram, Director of the Army National Guard. Our campaign is funded by foundations and Phillips 66, our lead corporate sponsor -- we receive no government funding. 98 business associations across the country are publicizing the campaign with their members.

I hope you'll look closely at this campaign and then decide to help spread the word. Visit our website at www.centerforamerica.org for plenty of details and background information. Feel free to call me at 201-513-0379 or email me with your questions. We're happy to provide references.

The National Guard is vital to our communities -- responding to more than 100 natural disasters in the last couple of years. The Army National Guard represents 40% of our total army force and the Air National Guard operates 17 of 18 home air defense centers. The 460,000+ men and women in the National Guard are always there for us and now they need our help -- and yours -- to match up with good jobs while they serve as active members of the Guard!

Thanks for your help!
The Thirty-Year Mason: Ergonomics as a Retention Strategy
June 2026

In most industry circles, the conversation around the labor shortage follows a predictable script: How do we find the next generation of masons? While recruitment is vital, we often overlook the most valuable asset already on the job site: the experienced

Shayne Sanders
MAP Partner
Read More
Acme Brick Company Releases 2026 Pocket Guide to Brick Construction
June 2026

For more than four decades, all the basics of building with brick have come in a guide small enough to fit into a pocket. Acme Brick has just released a 2026 version of its Pocket Guide to Brick Construction. And yes, it’s still printed on paper just like

MAP Partner
Read More
Masonry in the Media: Casa Azul, Chapultepec Castle, & More
June 2026

A film’s settings can take viewers to new locations, all from the comfort of their own home. It immerses them in the scenes, whether they take place in an opera house in Brazil or a grand mansion in Mexico City. Explore how these Latin American masonry ma

Lily Burger
Masonry in the Media
Read More
Chairman’s Message: When Things Don’t Go as Planned
June 2026

Not every day in this business goes the way we planned. Some days, everything lines up. The crew is moving well. Materials are on time. The job is flowing the way you hoped it would. And then there are the other days. The ones where something breaks. T

Kent Huntley
Chairman’s Message
Read More