OCR Text |
Show Supplement to th Hilltop AIR FORCE RESERVE Tlm HEADS UP Nov. 16, 1990 j OQ Maintainer belts love of country-wester- n SSgt. George A. Miller Jr., Ogden, an aerospace ground equipment specialist with the 419th Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, finally got over his shyness to become a popular country-westersinger. Sergeant Miller, 37, an air reserve technician,' spends most of his Friday and Saturday nights singing at regional night spots, restaurants, dances, . parties and weddings. Booked three to six months in advance, Sergeant Miller has entertained from Alaska to Las Vegas, in DenF-1- Crooner 6 SSgt. George n entertained members of the 419th Tactical Fighter . ill M '4 Ipll Jrj 1 - : ' I fv ' ' W- U.S. Air Force Photos the job SSgt. George A. Miller Jr., an 6 aerospace ground equipment specialist in the 419th Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, checks out a during maintenance. hydraulic aircraft jack used to lift an F-1- 10-to- F-1- n a recent wing open house and picnic. hometown of Butler, Pa., to sing. Sergeant Miller says his dream is "to be discovered by a successful record producer, and become a recording artist and someday produce an album of my songs." Sergeant Mifier graduated from high school in 1973 and joined the U.S. Air Force a year later. He was sent to Hill AFB in 1974 as a munitions maintenance specialist, and assigned to the 2849th Air Base Group. After two and a half years at Hill, Sergeant Miller was sent to England's Welford Royal AB, about 30 miles from London, where he stayed until he was transferred back to the United States in 1978. He left the Air Force and, remembering how much he enjoyed Utah, returned to this state and became a civilian security policeman at Hill. He joined the Air Force Reserve in 1978 and spent a year in the 508th Tactical Fighter Group as a bus driver in the transportation unit and, in 1980, became an equipment specialist with the 508th CAMS. , Ovejfj On Wing during mark and often returns to his I 6 Air Force Reservists called to serve on active duty during Operation Desert Shield are guaranand legal rights by fedteed certain eral legislation dating from 1940. The Veterans' Rights Law gives reservists the right to time off from their civilian jobs to fulfill their military obligations and protects them from discharge or discrimination because of those obligations. The law applies to federal, state and local governments, and to private employers, regardless of organizational size. Any reservist who gives up a civilian job to enter active duty, voluntarily or involuntarily, in peacetime or wartime is protected by the law. When, reservists are called for active duty, they are not required to request a leave of absence from their employer. However, reservists called up need to at least notify their employers that they've been called to active duty. They can't just disappear from their job, Air Force Reserve officials said. of Returning veterans are entitled to the level of rate and pay, job, in terms of seniority, status that they would have attained if they had remained continuously employed instead of serving on active 'duty. The law also gives veterans a period of special protection against being who fires discharged without cause. An employerburden of has the a veteran during that period misof was guilty proof to show that the veteran conduct which would have caused the person to be fired even if the person had not been a veteran. Returning veterans must meet certain eligibility , six-mon- th two-wee- in 1984. He was such a success that he was asked to entertain 419th and Danish air force personnel when he went to Denmark the next year on another . tour. His first paid engagement was three years ago when he played at the Shed in Ogden. Since then, he has been busy entertaining on weekends and has returned to the Shed many times. Sergeant Miller discovered that if he recorded musical numbers without the vocalization he could play the songs during his shows and sing to the music. "That way I don't need to worry about playing an instrument and can concentrate on my singing. And I don't need a big band. I have one recorded." He still accompanies himself on the guitar occasionally, though, especially when he plays at the Shed. While he sings mostly country western songs, he also like to sing rock and roll songs from the 1950s. : Sergeant Miller won a singing contest in September at the .Westener Club in Salt Lake City sponsored by KSOP Radio disc jockey Country Joe. Next March he will compete again in the contest finals for a trip to Nash: ville, Tenn. two-wee- k , the nextttew years. Sergeant U U requirements to regain their former jobs. Those ' criteria are: ..' The job that was held must have been other than a "temporary" job. The veteran must have left that job for the purpose of entering active duty. The period of active duty must be no longer than four years. It can be up to five years if the period beyond four years is an extension "at the request and for the convenience of the federal government." Release from active duty must be under " honorable conditions. O Application for with the be within 90 must days after preservice employer the reservist's release from active duty or 31 days if called under Title 10 United States Code 673b. The Veteran's Employment and Training Service, U.S. Department of Labor, is responsible for Law. The enforcing the Veterans's VETS national office telephone number is (202) 523-861- til he was in the Air Force Reserve and k in Alaska on a training tour Miller served, with several Reserve units at Hill AFB. He joined the 419th CAMS as an air. reserve technician in November 1987. Sergeant Miller started singing and playing the guitar when he was 12, but he didn't get up before an audience un- - 0 nioiBii A. Miller Jr. 1. Reserve members called to active duty also have certain legal protections under provisions of the Soliders' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act. Protection under the act begins once a person receives the call to enter into active duty. The act doesn't differentiate between voluntarily or involuntarily entering active duty. Protection ends within 30 to 90 days after discharge from active duty, depending on which section of the law is being invoked. The act offers several important protections to members. Here are the key provisions: The right to a judicial stay (postponement) of legal proceedings. A 6 percent cap on the maximum rate of interest which may be charged on financial obligations and Liabilities which were incurred before entering, active duty. The ability to terminate property leases by written notice. A debtor can't take actions to repossess property purchased under installment contracts or foreclosure on home mortgages without court approval, as long as the debt was incurred before en- tering active duty. Reservists called to active duty should contact their creditors formally to invoke the act's protection, officials said. They should write to all their creditors, advising them that they've been called to active duty and requesting their protections under the law. They also need to tell creditors that their ability to pay the debt is materially affected by the call-uReservists still must make payments as best they can. They can't use the law as an excuse to avoid their financial obligations. Officials advise reservists to send creditors' notices by certified mail, return receipt requested, and to keep copies of all correspondence for their p. own records. Reserve members who are called to active duty, as well as their family members, are entitled to free legal assistance from the legal assistance office of the nearest military installation. ' |