WASHINGTON - The Department of Defense announced the 15 recipients of the 2018 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, the highest U.S. government honor to employers for support of National Guard and Reserve employees.
"It is my pleasure to recognize these 15 outstanding civilian employers," said Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis."Our National Guard and Reserve members are a vital part of our national defense and deserve as much support as our country can provide. These 15 employers lead the way and we are grateful for their role in helping to keep our nation safe and secure."
The Freedom Award recipients below will be honored August 24 at a Pentagon ceremony:
-Texas Department of Insurance of Austin, Texas
-Duke Energy of Charlotte, North Carola
-Dunlap Police Department of Dunlap, Tennessee
-Crystal Group, Inc. of Hiawatha, Iowa
-AME Swiss Machining LLC of Ligonier, Indiana
-Greencastle Associates Consulting, LLC of Malvern, Pennsylvania
-ArgenTech Solutions, Inc.of Newmarket, New Hampshire
-Werner Enterprises, Inc. of Omaha, Nebraska
-FMI Corporation of Raleigh, North Carolina
-Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office of Salisbury, Maryland
-Amazon of Seattle
-Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania of Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania
-South Charleston Police Department of Charleston, West Virginia
-Big Sky Advisors of St. Louis
-Minnesota Department of Transportation of St. Paul, Minnesota
The 2018 recipients were selected from more than 2,350 nominations received from Guardsmen and Reservists highlighting how their civilian employers went far beyond what the federal law requires to support them. The Freedom Award began in 1996 under the auspices of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve to recognize exceptional employer support, with 250 honorees to date.