ARLINGTON, Va.-The Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, a Department of Defense agency, has announced the opening of the nomination season for the 2010 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award. National Guard and Reserve members and their families are eligible and encouraged to nominate employers who have provided exceptional support of military employees above the federal law requirements.
Nominations can be made at www.FreedomAward.mil and will be accepted until Jan. 18, 2010.
The Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award is the highest recognition given by the U.S. government to employers for their outstanding support of their employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve.
The 2010 recipients will be announced in the spring and honored in Washington, D.C. at the 15th annual Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award ceremony on Sept. 23, 2010.
Recipients of the 2009 Freedom Award met privately with President Barack Obama and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. Dr. Jill Biden, Deputy Secretary of Defense William Lynn and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs Dennis McCarthy presented the awards at a ceremony attended by members of Congress and senior government and military officials.
Earlier this year, two of Guam-CNMI's nominations, Alpha Insurers and NAVFAC Marianas, made it to the top 15 and 131 respectively out of over 3,200 nominations nationwide.
Almost one-half of the U.S. military is comprised of the National Guard and Reserve. The Department of Defense shares these citizen warriors with their civilian employers, many of whom provide significant support to their employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve. Past recipients of the Freedom Award have provided significant support including full salary, continuation of benefits, care packages and family assistance to employees fulfilling their military obligation.
The Freedom Award was instituted in 1996 under the auspices of ESGR to recognize exceptional support from the employer community. “There is much excitement surrounding the 15th anniversary of the Freedom Award,” noted ESGR Guam-CNMI Committee chair Benny Paulino, “and we're enthusiastic to begin selection of the 2010 recipients from amongst all of the heartfelt nominations that will be submitted by our proud citizen warriors.”
ESGR is a Department of Defense agency established in 1972. Its mission is to gain and maintain employer support for Guard and Reserve service by recognizing outstanding support, increasing awareness of the law and resolving conflicts through mediation.
For questions regarding the Freedom Award nomination process, visit www.FreedomAward.mil or contact Capt. Josephine Blas, ESGR Guam-CNMI Committee Public Affairs Director, at 671-735-0456. (ESGR)
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