(Roanoke, VA) – The Virginia Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense agency, held its annual awards ceremony on Saturday, June 4, 2011.  The Adjutant General of Virginia, MG Daniel E. Long, Jr., spoke about the relationship between the Guard and Reserve and civilian employers, and Ms. Louise Kadiri read a statement from Senator Mark Warner.  “The military is not just a job.  It’s a way of life, and employers are part of it,” Long stated. Noting that “the Guard and Reserve will have an increasing role in national security,” he repeated a quote from Kenneth Preston, the recently retired Sergeant Major of the Army, who urged the Army to provide for families left behind with the same vigor it showed on the field.

Indeed, many employers honored that evening took remarkable care not only of the service member but of their families as well.  Donna Cooper of ProSource Consulting provided her home phone number to be available to the wife of a deployed employee while he is serving overseas. “Character comes within, from doing the right thing when no one is looking,” she said as she accepted her Seven Seals Award.  “I did the right thing and, to my surprise, ESGR was looking.”  CALIBRE Systems’ participation in the Employer Partnership Initiative and extra military support activities such as an annual golf tournament to support wounded soldiers earned it a Seven Seals Award.  Steven Roofing Corporation even sent care packages to its deployed employee in Afghanistan.  Many of the awardees paid the service member’s full salary or differential pay while they were deployed so their family did not lose income.

Employers are nominated each year by a service member who wishes to recognize the exceptional support to their military career provided by their civilian employer.  Pro-Patria Award winners included the City of Radford Police Department, SRA International in Arlington, and Integrity Applications.  Recipients of the Above and Beyond Award were New Century Delivery, SAIC in McLean, Stevens Roofing Corporation, Tecolote Research, Yahoo! in Ashburn, Cisco Systems in Herndon, BAE Systems in Arlington, Halifax County Sheriff’s Office, and the Roanoke Disability Determination Services.  Those being presented a Seven Seals Award included Booz Allen Hamilton in Norfolk, Carillion Clinic, CALIBRE Systems, Corning Incorporated, ProSource Consulting, and Tuckahoe Elementary School.

Roger Trout, Chair of the Virginia ESGR Committee and Steve Villapando, Vice Chair, commended the award recipients for their leadership in not only supporting their employees and their service but going above and beyond in their commitment to their citizen soldiers.