Thanks to Sergeant First Class Randy Freye, Troop B, 1-134 Cavalry Squadron, Nebraska Army National Guard, two individuals at Lincoln Industries were recognized by the Nebraska Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Committee for their outstanding support to Sergeant Frye during his two deployments. 

Ron Thomas, Vice President Human Resources, Eagle Transport, Rocky Mount, NC receives the Patriot Award from Pat Fulcher, PSS, NC ESGR Committee.  "Eagle Transport is honored to receive this award and sign the Statement of Support", states Mr. Thomas. "We recognize the sacrifices that our employees/citizen soldiers make each and every day defending our country".
 

The conference room of the Commander, U. S. Pacific Fleet, Communications was the setting for a Patriot Award presentation to Mr. Ronald McClair,  N6 Operations Officer.  Mr. McClair was nominated by LCDR Alexander Pura, USNR, citing Mr. McClair's total support of his Navy Reserve career and at COMPACFLT. "He takes tremendous effort in integrating Navy Reserve unit members into N6 operations for exercises and real world contingencies. He truly appreciates the support that he Reserve Forces bring to the fight".
 

San Jose, CA: Jeff Fredricksen, Hensel Phelps Supervisor, and Hensel Phelps Vice President, Mr. Jon Ball received the Patriot Award and signed a Statement of Support on behalf of Hensel Phelps Construction Inc. at the San Jose, California. Hensel Phelps is a nationwide corporation and the contractors who restored the Pentagon after the 9-11 Disaster. The company has been honored in the past by service members employed with Hensel Phelps. This presentation took place in their San Jose office with some 40 staff members present. Hensel Phelps is a strong supporter, and employer, of our military.

(Jackson, MS) – The Mississippi Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), an agency of the Department of Defense, announced today Frankie Hodges of University of Mississippi Medical Center was honored with a Patriot Award in recognition of extraordinary support of its employee(s) who serve in the Mississippi National Guard and Reserve.

Little Rock, Arkansas – Arkansas Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), an agency of the Department of Defense, announced today, December 12, 2011, that  St. Vincent Infirmary and Laboratory Supervisor, Mr. Matthew Matusiak was honored with a Patriot Award in recognition of extraordinary support of the employees who serve in the Arkansas National Guard and Reserve.

Norfolk, VA December 12, 2011.  Recently Vice Admiral Dirk  Debbink, USN, the Chief of Navy Reserve,  presented Doyle Quisenberry the “Office of the Secretary of  Defense Award for Outstanding Achievement” plaque  on behalf of the Secretary of Defense to commemorate his 13 ½ years service to military veterans and their employers through the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) organization.

Seattle, WA  Larry Kirchner, King County Chair of the Washington State Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Committee (ESGR), an agency of the Department of Defense, announced that Craig Campbell, District Manager for AlliedBarton Security Services in Seattle, signed a Statement of Support for the National Guard and Reserve on Monday, December 5th.  The signing ceremony occurred at AlliedBarton’s headquarters in Tukwila.  

CALIFORNIA: December 3-4, 2011 was a busy weekend for the California Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve volunteers in California.  During these two days the volunteers supported seventeen (17) events to include Yellow Ribbon pre-deployments, unit briefings, family days, awards presentations and participated in a boss lift at Mather Air Base in Sacramento.  CA ESGR volunteers briefed Citizen Warriors from all Seven Seals of the Reserve Components. 

Chief of Police, Glenn Miller  of The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey Campus Police, signed a SOS on Thursday, December 8.  

NAVFAC, Pearl Harbor, HI-30 November 2011 Navy Facilities Engineering Commander, Pacific, was the setting for a Patriot Award presentation to Mr. Don Rochon. 

Ala Moana Center, Honolulu, HI-23 November 2011 Amid pre-Thanksgiving preparations, we presented Darcy Murakami, Manager of Apple Store, Ala Moana Center with a Patriot Award.  The award nomination was submitted by 2Lt Jonathan Patterson, 154MXS, HIANG. 

For those serving their country overseas, support from home can be priceless. This was the message shared by Ryan Vogel, train dispatcher, who recently presented Union Pacific and supervisors Steve Barkley and Randy Glynn with the Office of the Secretary of Defense Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve’s (ESGR) patriotic employer honor.

It’s just become a little easier for Freedom Wing Airmen to receive support with civilian employment issues.

Pictured is Mr. Dan Guerin, President of Maine Oxy and Maureen Aube, a member of Maine's Employer Outreach Sub-Committee.  Maureen presented Dan with a Patriotic Employer Award at a recent gathering at Maine Oxy. 

State Chairman, Bob Borek presented a Patriot Award to Mary Markovinovic, Adjunct Faculty member of the Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies.  Mary was nominated by 1SG Stephanie Hika, 117 Mobile Public Affairs Detachment (MPAD), HIARNG.

Alexandria, VA – Ms. Kimberly Suyes, Employment Initiative Program (EIP) Director and Ms. Monica Hazelwood-Frisby, PSS, of the Virginia Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense agency, participated in the official kick-off event for the Intel Corporation Veteran’s Employment Training (VET) Initiative program, an employment related event on Wednesday, November 9, 2011.  The event was held at the Gum Springs Community Center/ Intel Club House. 
 

Joint Forces Training Base (JFTB), Los Alamitos, California: Freedom Award Fever is catching on again this year at Joint Forces Training Base (JFTB), Los Alamitos. The Reserve Training Base prides itself with being the California Home of the Secretary of Defense Freedom Award. Since 1995, 15 California employers have been the recipients of the Freedom Award. Currently California has over 140 strong nominations for 2012.

Annapolis, Maryland.  David L. Stokes, Sr., Chief of the Annapolis Fire Department, reaffirmed his support for the men and women of the National Guard and Reserve on December 5, 2011 by signing an Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Statement of Support.

Winnfield, Louisiana – The Louisiana Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), an agency of the Department of Defense, announced today Sidney Roberson, Wal-Mart Supervisor, Winnfield LA was honored with a Patriot Award in recognition of extraordinary support of employee(s) who serve in the Louisiana National Guard and Reserve. 

David Speedling had been out hunting last Friday morning, so he wondered what was up when his employee, Timothy Neau, called him and told him to he needed to come in out of the woods and be around for some visitors that were going to be calling soon.
 

At a Chief of Navy Reserve Awards ceremony on 18 November in Norfolk, the Virginia ESGR Chair, Steve Villalpando surprised VADM Dirk Debbink, USN, the Chief of Navy Reserve, as he presented him an  ESGR "Above and Beyond" award for his outstanding  support of the Virginia ESGR Committee..

Seattle, Washington – The Washington Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), an agency of the Department of Defense, announced today that Don Johnson, Mechanical Production Manager for Delta Marine Industries in Seattle, was honored with the Patriot Award in recognition of extraordinary support of an employee who serves in the United States Army Reserve.
 

Brad Triplett had worked for Chart Cooler Services Co. for a few weeks when he received his active-duty orders.
 

Rhode Island’s entire congressional delegation and the state’s Director of Labor and Training joined Major General Kevin McBride, the Adjutant General and Commanding General of the Rhode Island National Guard in urging more than 50 employers seeking job applicants to hire the heroes at a job fair sponsored in part by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
 

Robins Air Force Base, GA – Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense agency, announced today that Ms. Carla Holt of the United States Air Force Materiel Command was honored with a Patriot Award in recognition of extraordinary support of MSgt Agustine serving in the Air Force Reserve.

Annapolis, Maryland –The Maryland Department of Veteran Affairs’ Secretary, Ed Chow, demonstrated his agency’s support for the men and women of the National Guard and Reserve on November 29, 2011 by signing an Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve – or ESGR – Statement of Support for the Guard and Reserve.
 

(El Paso, Texas) – Dr. Jerry Icenhower, State Chair of Texas Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense agency, announced that U.S. Congressman Silvestre Reyes, 16th District of Texas, signed a Statement of Support for the Guard and Reserve on Tuesday, November 8, 2011.  The signing ceremony occurred at 8:30 AM at the Doubletree Hotel, 600 N. El Paso Street, in El Paso, Texas during “The Patriotic Promise” Veteran Recruitment Symposium.
 

ARLINGTON, Va. – Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense agency, encourages Guard and Reserve members to nominate their supportive employers for the 2012 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award as only five weeks remain until the deadline. The Freedom Award is the DoD’s highest award for civilian employers supporting Guard and Reserve members. As our nation faces ongoing national security demands, it is critically important to recognize employers that go above and beyond in their support of Guard and Reserve members and promote their support as a model for others to follow.

On Nov. 10, Orlando VA Medical Center Director Timothy W. Liezert  and Chief of Human Resources Tracy Skala formally communicated the medical center's support for its employees serving in the Guard and Reserve by signing and Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Statement of Support.  (Photo by Brian Dery)
 

MATTOON, Ill. – The Human Resources Association of East Central Illinois signed a Statement of Support for the Guard and Reserve at its November 18 chapter meeting in recognition of the important role Guard and Reserve service members play in the nation’s defense. Chapter President, April Nance, signed the Statement of Support on behalf of the chapter.
 

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Scheels took the opportunity, to sign a Statement of Support for the National Guard and Reserve at its south Springfield store on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, joining the thousands of employers and businesses across Illinois and the country that have publicly acknowledged and support the continuing contributions of Guardsmen and Reservists to the defense of our nation.

(Fort Pickett, VA) –LTC Garland Henry Goodrich of BEN-GAR Farms was awarded a Seven Seals Award by Virginia ESGR volunteer Bob Cannon on October 5 in front of his platoon at Fort Pickett.  Last year, LTC Goodrich volunteered to deploy to Afghanistan with the Agribusiness Development Team, knowing that his experience running his 500 acre row crop farm in Wakefield,Virginia gave him a unique skill set that he could use to serve his country.  Because the deployment began in the middle of the 2010 crop year and ended in the middle of the 2011 crop year, he lost two years of farm income for a one-year deployment.

Wolff Law Firm, Little Rock, Arkansas was honored on October 14, 2011 with a Patriot Award in recognition of extraordinary support of their employee who serves in the United States Army Reserve.

(Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)– Oklahoma Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, a Department of Defense agency, is proud to announce that Brig. Gen (Ret) Tom Despain of Edmond, Oklahoma) was recently selected and named as the new Chair for Oklahoma.

Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Little Rock, Arkansas along with Arkansas Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve recognized the Hospital Employees that are serving in the National Guard and Reserve and who are Veterans from any period of time. The program was on Veteran’s Day at the Children’s Hospital Auditorium hosted by the Chief Executive Officer, Doctor Jonathan Bates.  Over one hundred attendees heard an inspiring address by Retired National Guard Chaplain (Colonel) James Ryan, Jr. Doctor Bates and Major General (Retired) Don Morrow, Arkansas Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Chairman, then recognized each of the 45 Veterans with a Children’s Hospital certificate, special dog tags and a Patriot Pen.
 

New York, NY – Mr. James Rebholz, National Chair of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, announced that Mr. Vikram Pandit, Chief Executive Officer of Citigroup, signed a Statement of Support for the Guard and Reserve on November 4, 2011 at the Citi Corporate Office in New York City.