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MORGANTOWN - Frank Vitale is always happy to chalk one up for the West Virginians who serve in National Guard and reserve units across the state.
Men and women, he said, who could be called in a blink to a war zone somewhere on the globe, or to the site of a devastating flood, or other natural disaster, two counties over.
"That's why I'm honored to be able to do this," he said.
He was talking about what he was set to do during halftime of Saturday's "Heroes Day" football game pitting the Mountaineers of West Virginia and the Jayhawks of Kansas at Milan Puskar Stadium.
Vitale is a Morgantown business consultant and entrepreneur, but before that he was a guy who enlisted for active duty in the U.S. Army at the age of 17.
By the time he mustered out of the military, he was a captain in the Army National Guard.
Now, he's the national vice chairman of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve - a Department of War branch that advocates for both citizen-soldiers and the companies that hire them and provide for them.
Especially during those above-mentioned deployments, he said.
Two such businesses, both WVU and WVU Medicine, are among the state's largest employers with a workforce that has also taken the oath to serve the country when called.
"You look at what those outstanding men and women do on a daily basis, both at the university and WVU Medicine, and you see that they're already working to make life better for us," he said.
"And when they get called up, that gets amplified," he continued. "So we have two great employers, supporting a lot of great people every day when they come in to work."
Vitale's work on Saturday was the presentation of his organization's Pro Patria Award - one of its most-lauded recognitions - to university President Michael T. Benson and Albert Wright Jr., the president and CEO of WVU Health System.
U.S. Navy Capt. Darren Bess, who is executive of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, agreed.
The officer and administrator based at The Pentagon was also expected to be part of the delegation traveling over from Washington, D.C. for the game and presentation.
"West Virginia has a proud legacy of military service," he said.
"And West Virginia University and WVU Health System play a vital role in supporting our National Guard and reserve members and their families," the captain continued.
"In peacetime, they offer the flexibility employees need to serve without fear of losing their employment or benefits," Bess said.
"During mobilization - that commitment becomes indispensable."