KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- There are less than six weeks left to nominate an outstanding employer for the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award.
To recognize employers who support their Guard and Reserve employees, the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve grants a series of Department of Defense awards. They are the Patriot and Spouse Patriot Award, Seven Seals Award, Above-and-Beyond Award, Pro Patria Award, Extraordinary Employer Support Award, and the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award.
The Freedom Award is the highest honor the Department of Defense gives to employers for supporting their Guard and Reserve employees. The employers chosen exemplify what it means to go above-and-beyond federal requirements in support of military employees.
“Recognizing supportive employers is vital to the ESGR’s mission,” said Aubrey Ray, Mississippi ESGR state chair. “With 54 state committees actively promoting awards, it is a key element in furthering employer support, while strengthening relationships between service members and employers. These Department of Defense awards honor the sacrifices made by so many employers year after year.”
The ESGR is a DOD program established in 1972 to promote cooperation and support between Guard and Reserve component service members and their civilian employers and to assist in conflict resolution from an employee’s military commitment.
“ESGR has served our country for more than 45 years, fostering a culture in which all employers support and value the employment and military service of members of the National Guard and Reserve in the United States,” said Ray. “These citizen warriors could not defend and protect us at home and abroad without the continued promise of meaningful civilian employment for themselves and their families.”
As Reserve Citizen Airmen, if your employer goes above-and-beyond to support your military service, this is a great opportunity to highlight and thank them.
The Freedom Award nomination season is open until Dec. 31. For information on the nomination process visit: http://www.freedomaward.mil/ and for more information about the ESGR and awards program visit: https://www.esgr.mil/.
“The ESGR has and will continue to adapt to meet the needs of the Guard and Reserve members, their families, and America’s employers by joining forces with a network of national, state, local government and professional trade organizations,” said Ray. “Together, we all serve!”