Reservists give bosses a lift

Being a military reservist can be challenging for those with civilian jobs. But an understanding supervisor and a supportive organization make it easier.

Just ask IT Technician Danielle Harvey, who joined the U.S. Air Force in 2007. She served a seven- month tour in Iraq.

In 2013, she separated from the active duty Air Force due to a clash in family and career responsibilities but joined the Air Force Reserves. She is a Staff Sergeant (SSgt/E-5) for the 26th Aerial Port Squadron at Joint Base Lackland in San Antonio.

To thank the city for its support of her reservist career, Harvey nominated IT Director Robert Olvera, Chief of Staff Jerry Hendrix and City Manager Scott Sellers for “Boss Lift.”

The program transports selected bosses from San Antonio to Cape Canaveral in Florida on a C-5A Galaxy Air Force plane. The overnight trip was a way of saying thanks to employers who allow their staff to serve in the military reserve with their full support and flexibility.

“The professionalism and the genuine sense of duty our reservists have for our country, and for each other, was amazing and makes me even prouder to have been a part of it,” Hendrix said.

Sellers said, “It was a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Harvey said she was thrilled that two City of Kyle employees were able to take part in Boss Lift.

“I take great pride in serving my country as well as my local community as a City of Kyle employee," she said. "I greatly appreciate the support from my co-workers and superiors in allowing me to balance my two career paths.”