Nominations open for Employer Support Freedom Award

WASHINGTON—Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, a Department of Defense office, is now accepting nominations for the 2016 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award.

The Freedom Award is the nation’s highest honor presented to civilian employers for exceptional support of their National Guard and Reserve employees. ESGR encourages Guardsmen, Reservists, or family members acting on their behalf, to submit nominations at www.FreedomAward.mil by Dec. 31, 2015. No submissions will be accepted after that date.

Guard and Reserve members comprise nearly one-half of our nation’s military force. They provide essential services to maintain national security and conduct humanitarian efforts at home and abroad. The unwavering commitment of their employers helps keep our military prepared and our nation protected.

“Every day, employers large and small work to ease the burden on those who serve by providing workplace flexibility, career opportunities and dedicated support,” said Paul Mock, ESGR national chair. “The Freedom Award is one way we can thank the employers that stand behind our Guardsmen, Reservists and their families.”

The Freedom Award ceremony is held in Washington, D.C., for up to 15 deserving employers each year in August. This award recognizes employers who go above and beyond in supporting members of the Guard and Reserve—from continuing benefits and healthcare during deployments, to helping with home maintenance and sponsoring veteran hiring initiatives. Service members can thank employers for their exemplary support by submitting a Freedom Award nomination today.

ESGR is a Department of Defense office that develops and promotes supportive work environments for service members in the Reserve Components through outreach, recognition, and educational opportunities. On behalf of the Secretary of Defense, ESGR executes the annual Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award program. The Freedom Award has been presented to 220 employers since it began in 1996.

The Freedom Award is the highest award given by the U.S. government to employers for exceptional support of their employees serving in the National Guard or Reserve. Nominees represent small (less than 500 employees), large (more than 500 employees), and public employers.

Each year, all states and four territories, as well as all branches of the Service (to include the Coast Guard Reserve), are represented in the nomination process.

The award began in 1996, when then-Secretary of Defense William Perry authorized it and presented it to Schneider National, a Green Bay, Wisconsin, trucking company. In the years since, 220 employers have received the Freedom Award. Previous honorees include CVS Health, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Ford Motor Company, the State of Hawaii, the Boise Fire Department, the Town of Hingham (Massachusetts), St. Jude Children’s Hospital and the family-owned farm Augustine & Sons in Rose Hill, Iowa.

In previous years, recipients met with the President of the United States and are provided a tour of the White House and Pentagon. The President signs a proclamation declaring the last full week of August (or whichever week coincides with the Freedom Award ceremony) as National Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Week.

Employers are nominated by National Guard and Reserve Service member employees. Last year, 2,960 nominations were submitted online at www.FreedomAward.mil.

The State Committee Freedom Award Selection Board, led by the volunteer ESGR state chair and chair-appointed volunteers, review all nominations and verify accuracy of the information. The board then decides who will represent their state as a semifinalist.

A total of 150 employers were named semifinalists this year. Thirty finalists are announced in approximately April/May. No more than 15 recipients are approved by the Secretary of Defense around June. The Secretary of Defense presents the 15 awards to recipients at the Pentagon in a ceremony, which is streamed live to an audience of millions. (ESGR)