National Guard takes bosses to the skies in Havre

Montana National Guard celebrated employers supporting members of the U.S. Armed Forces at the Havre City-County Airport Friday afternoon, giving local employers rides in a Montana Army National Guard Black Hawk helicopter and a Montana Air National Guard Chinook helicopter.

Pilots demonstrated their skills as people on the tour were given a bird's eye view of the area including the Bear Paw Mountains.

State Chair of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve of Montana Brad Livingston directed the event.

"Today's event is an authorized event where we are able to use military aircraft to go out and to first educate employers about the guard and reserve, but more importantly to thank Montana employers for supporting the guard and reserve," Livingston said.

Among the crowd was Lael Barnett of Schine Electric. He said Schine employee Matthew Emge is a helicopter pilot for the National Guard.

"I figured if he could do that, he ought to be able to do anything," Barnett said, "We're so happy to have him. He's a great help, pays attention to detail, has a great work ethic and never leaves me in the dark with anything."

Another local passenger of the Black Hawk helicopter was realtor Kim Cripps.

"It was an incredible ride over the Bear Paws. I'd do it again," said Cripps, "Thank you, National Guard."

Cripps' son-in-law, David Lambers, serves in the Guard.

Livingston said this morning that the Guard and Reserve are allowed to take time to educate employers what their obligations are under federal law to their employers who are serving in the guard and reserve.

He said, in Montana, they take a different approach. Montanans generally don't like being told what to do, so they invite employers and community leaders to an event where they are told what the laws are, and then are shown what their employees do while serving, including giving them a flight in a helicopter.

They are told the story of the Guard and Reserve, then are put on a helicopter and get a bucket-list item of a 45-minute flight around the area in a military helicopter Livingston said.

They also get a statement they can sign and display in their business area, which can be a great conversation starter, he added.

"They can say, 'Let me tell you what I did on the 12th of May," Livingston said.

He said they had about 60 employers and community leaders from this area at the event Friday.

Havre is just one of the stops they make, and they usually do this six or eight times a year in different communities.

Thanking and telling bosses what their employees who serve do is not just for one special day, he added.

"It's not a day, it's 365 days, year-round, as far as I'm concerned," Livingston said.