Jim Verwey (right) presented Valley City Junior High Principal Al Cruchet with the My Boss is a Patriot award during the Valley City School Board meeting held Monday, Feb. 11.(Steve Browne/VCTR) 

By Steve Browne
Valley City Times-Record

Jim Verwey, chairperson for Region 4 of the organization Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) presented the My Boss is a Patriot award to Al Cruchet, principal of Valley City Junior High School, at the Valley City School Board meeting Monday night. The award was presented on behalf of Lt. Trevor Bakalar. Verwey said that Lt. Bakalar is currently deployed in Iraq as leader of an engineering platoon. In civilian life, Bakalar is a physical education teacher at Valley City Junior High. He has worked at the school for 10 years and was called up for active military service this past spring. Verwey explained that ESGR is a Department of Defense volunteer organization that provides education, consultation and, if necessary, mediation between employers and employees on active service. Although employers must guarantee an employees’ jobs when they return from active duty, disputes sometimes arise over accumulated sick leave, benefits and bonuses, Vervey said. ESGR recognizes employers who go beyond the letter of the law in support of employees called up for National Guard or Reserve duty. To receive the award, an employer must be nominated by a citizen-soldier on active duty, Verwey said. Bakalar stated on his nomination form, “Valley City Public Schools have continued to support me throughout my military career. We have worked together through the process of pre-deployment and now as I am deployed. With your continued support for the military and its service members, I know that I can continue teaching with a sound mind.”