Story by H. T. Wiley, Kentucky Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve
[caption id="attachment_23222" align="alignleft" width="240"]
Maj. Gen. (retired) D. Allen Youngman, a former Kentucky National Guard commander, has been selected to head the Kentucky Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve.
FRANKFORT, Ky. – Maj. Gen. (retired) D. Allen Youngman has been selected to head the Kentucky Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), according to outgoing chair Robert Silverthorn, Jr. The appointment is effective Oct. 1, 2014.
Youngman, a former Adjutant General for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, retired in 2003 and resides near Bowling Green. His 34 years of military service included duty in the active Army, the Army National Guard, and the United States Army Reserve.
“Following Bob Silverthorn will be no easy task,” said Youngman. “His leadership over the past six years has been extraordinary and he has taken Kentucky’s ESGR committee from average to being a national leader. A good example of that is that two Kentucky firms last year were named recipients of the Freedom Award, the highest Department of Defense award presented through the auspices of the national ESGR organization.”
Silverthorn, himself a retired Army major general, is an attorney in Louisville. He praised the selection of Youngman. “Allen Youngman will provide the leadership continuity that Kentucky employers and military personnel deserve,” said Silverthorn. “He knows the importance of a good employer – Guard/Reserve relationship.”
The position carries a three-year term and is the equivalent to a military two-star flag officer under DoD protocol.
Youngman serves as a senior consultant with American Business Development Group (ABDG), a Vienna, Virginia – based firm specializing in National Defense and Homeland Security matters. He graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Law and practiced law in Owensboro prior to returning to fulltime active duty. Youngman’s military awards include the Army Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (with Oak Leaf Cluster), Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Combat Infantryman Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, and the Special Forces Tab.
“The viability of our all-volunteer military force, and thus our national security, relies on the support of America’s employers and the employees they share with the nation,” said Youngman. “ESGR applauds companies that implement personnel policies supporting employee participation in the Guard and Reserve.”
ESGR seeks to foster a culture in which all employers support and value the employment and military service of members of the National Guard and Reserve. ESGR facilitates and promotes a cooperative culture of employer support for National Guard and Reserve forces members.