By Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division Public Affairs

PANAMA CITY, Fla – Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division Commander Capt. Thomas Brovarone was recognized for its outstanding support to employees who also serve in the Reserves and National Guard during a ceremony on Aug. 24, 2011.

The Captain and his Division received the Patriot Award from Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, a Department of Defense Agency in Washington D.C. One of those employees, Jacqui Barker, nominated the Division for the award after she deployed for 107 days. Barker served as the afloat Public Affairs Officer for the Continuing Promise Partnership of the Americas mission in 2010 onboard USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7).

“I’m speechless and am honored,” Brovarone said. “This award is really for the entire 1,300 employees here because we all collectively support our military, whether they are active duty or reserves. There are several of our employees who are not only civil service, but they are also reservists and the bottom line is when they are in uniform they need our support out there.”

Barker said her Public Affairs and Business Operations teams were very supportive. She said they emailed, communicated with her about timecards, benefits and sent along friendly ‘hellos.’

“I deployed within 30 days after talking with the detailer. I left at a really busy time for our Division, but the Division really supported my decision to support the Navy in uniform, not just as a civil servant,” Barker said. “I received emails from them while I was at sea and it meant a lot to me and to the mission to know my family was taken care of while I was away. I could focus on the mission and I could get the job done.”  When she returned from deployment, the Division was a strong advocate of slow immersion back into the workplace.

“They all allowed me to take the time to slow down, spend time with my family over the holidays, which all helped me to refocus on the Warfare Center issues at hand,” she said.  Before she deployed, Human Resources Office representatives paid her several office visits to help her understand her rights before, during and after she deployed.

“We work to ensure everyone understands their rights before they leave. This helps them ease their worries while they are serving in uniform, but it also helps the transition back into our workforce,” said Rick Fowler, Human Resource Officer, NSWC PCD.

NSWC PCD Public Affairs Officer Jeff Prater, and Barker’s immediate supervisor, understands the importance of support during deployments. As a retired Navy commander, Prater recognized what Sailors need from the shore while they serve at sea.

“When you’re out there, you need to be able to think clearly and focus on the immediate tasks at hand,” Prater said. “It’s our honor to serve with reservists here at NSWC PCD because they serve not only as servant leaders in a civil service capacity, but then they uphold the Navy’s Maritime Strategy when they deploy in uniform. We can’t support them enough.”

CUTLINE: – Naval Reserve Public Affairs Officer Lt. Jacqui Barker presents Commander, Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) Capt. Thomas Brovarone, USN, with the Employer Support for Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Patriot Award on Aug. 24, 2011. The Patriot Award recognizes the strong support employers give to their reserve employees. Barker deployed in 2010 in support of the Continuing Promise – Partnership of the Americas humanitarian civic assistance mission onboard USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7).