It has to be hard. In a time of military buildups and the possibility of war, business owners watch as their employees get called up to serve for extended period of time.

As patriotic as business owners are, this no doubt has placed a burden on employers.

There are local examples. Scott City's police chief, Don Cobb, has already been called to active duty twice, the second time just two weeks ago, after he had been home only six months since serving in Kosovo.

Jim Govro, the manager of Westfield Shoppingtown West Park in Cape Girardeau, also has been called up, along with members of local police and fire departments. Across the country, there are thousands of others.

By law, companies must allow reservists to attend military training and guarantee their jobs after tours of duty.

But in some cases, employers are going a step further by offering their reservists benefits that include supplemental wages, extended health care and family counseling.

That's on top of holding down the fort at home, which obviously becomes more difficult with depleted staffing levels. Employers should be commended for finding ways to deal with these absences.