The Oregon Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve recognized Clatsop County at a ceremony and dinner at Rilea Armed Forces Training Center Tuesday evening.

The recognition was bestowed for the county’s support of employees who serve their country in the U.S. National Guard and Armed Forces Reserves.

County Manager Duane Cole accepted the “My Boss is a Patriot” award on behalf of the county.

The committee, a volunteer program within the Department of Defense, provides education, consultation and mediation for employees and employers about their rights and responsibilities under the federal Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act.

The federal law grants Guard and Reserve members the right to return to their civilian jobs, with the same pay and benefits, after military service.

Clatsop County was nominated for the award by Dean Perez, the county Human Resources director and an Oregon National Guard lieutenant colonel who served two tours of duty in Afghanistan as part of Operation Phoenix, the Guard-led mission to train the fledgling Afghan National Army.

“It was a way to acknowledge my coworkers, the county manager, the board (of commissioners) and the citizens of Clatsop County for supporting me during my back-to-back deployments to Afghanistan,” Perez said.

Co-workers performed Perez’s county duties during the two one-year deployments, which took place in 20004-05 and 2006-07. “And I felt welcomed back both times,” he said.

Other local recipients honored Tuesday for their support of the Guard and Reserves included Tongue Point Job Corps, KAST Radio and American Legion posts 12, in Astoria, and 99, in Seaside.

This summer saw the deployment of more than 3,000 soldiers with the Oregon National Guard’s 41st Brigade Combat Infantry Team, the biggest such mobilization of reserves in Oregon since World War II.

The large-scale use of Guard and Reserve members creates challenges for many employers, some of whom have seen valuable workers called up for two or more deployments.

Mark Jorgenson, a committee program support specialist, said the organization’s 75 volunteers, many of them former military personnel themselves, work with affected businesses and help address conflicts that might arise from these call-ups.

America’s reserve personnel are a critical component of U.S. military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and other areas, Perez said.

“You can’t fight a war without the National Guard and Reserves,” he said.

For more information on the Oregon Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve log on to www.oresgr.org