Nominations Sought for 2016 ESGR Freedom Awards

National Guard and Reserve members- does your employer go above and beyond to assist you with your service obligations? If so, then perhaps you should nominate your employer for a 2016 Freedom Award. But hurry, because nomination are only open until December 31st!

The Freedom award is presented by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), an office of the Department of Defense (DOD). The award is the nation’s highest honor given to civilian employers for their efforts in support of their National Guard and Reserves employees. The ESGR determines which employers are deserving of the prestigious award through nominations made by current members of the Guard and Reserves.

Members of the Guard and Reserve make up nearly half of our nation’s military force. These citizen-soldiers provide essential services to maintain national security and conduct humanitarian efforts at home and abroad. The cooperation of their employers eases the burden of sacrifice on service members, and helps keep our military prepared and our nation protected.

In 1996, then-Secretary of Defense William Perry presented the first Freedom Awards to Schneider National, McDonnell Douglas, National Life of Vermont, Tektronix, and United Parcel Service (UPS) Central Florida District. Since then, up to fifteen Freedom Awards are presented each year. A total of 205 employers have received the award.

The ESGR is asking for members of the Guard, Reserves, or family members acting on their behalf, to submit nominations for employers at www.FreedomAward.mil by December 31, 2015. Nominations for employers from companies of all industries, functions and sizes will be accepted, so long as they are the service member’s current employer. Each year, a Freedom Award ceremony is held in Washington, D.C. to present the awards to deserving employers.

Wonderful employers who go above and beyond in their efforts to support the members of the Guard and Reserves deserve recognition. Military Connection is a long-time supporter of the ESGR and often facilitate signings of support for employers.

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve, and their families.