DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. – The Arizona Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) presented nine Above and Beyond awards and four Seven Seals awards to Southern Arizona employers during an awards luncheon here June 22.

More than 340 Arizona employers were nominated this year by employees serving in the Guard or Reserve. In addition to preserving the re-employment rights of their deployed servicemembers, the 13 recognized in Tucson, Ariz., offered differential pay, extended health benefits and extraordinary personal and family support programs.

The 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, Smyth Steel, the City of Tucson, the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, Southern Arizona VA Health Care Services, Bombardier Aerospace, the Pima County Attorney’s Office, Southwest Energy, and the Pima County Sheriff’s Office earned Above and Beyond awards.

Raytheon Missile Systems, the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Northwest Fire Rescue District earned Seven Seals Awards.

Heidi Carino, wife of Arizona Army Guard Staff Sgt. Guy Carnino, nominated his employer, the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office for the Above and Beyond award. Sergeant Carino served more than 400 days in Afghanistan as a member of Arizona’s 363rd Explosive Ordinance Disposal unit.

“They helped me establish a care package drive to send items not only to my husband but to every member of his unit,” said Mrs. Carino. “There were large donation boxes with his picture and our story that were placed in every substation, every county office, every county jail and every county building. Enough Items were collected to ship about 150 boxes.”

“I felt incredibly supported by the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office -- a family I have grown to be a part of even in my husband’s absence,” she said.  “I know that if I ever needed anything as the spouse of a deployed servicemember, that they would be the first to support me or help me in any way possible.  We are blessed.”

In the Photo:
(From the left) Col. Matthew Brown, Arizona National Guard Assistant Adjutant General,  Ms. Cheryl Chase, Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu, Mrs. Heidi Carino, and Army Guard Staff Sgt. Guy Carino present an Above and Beyond award June 22 to the sheriff’s office for outstanding support during Sergeant Carino’s  recent 400-day deployment to Afghanistan. The Arizona Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) recognized 13 Southern Arizona employers that exceeded legal requirements to support Reserve component servicemembers under their employ. (Air Force Photo by Airman First Class Jerilyn Quintanilla)