WASHINGTON, April 17, 2014 - Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, a Department of Defense office, has selected 30 employers as finalists for the 2014 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award.
The award is the DOD's highest recognition given to employers for exceptional support of National Guard and Reserve employees.
These 30 employers listed below were selected from 2,864 nominations submitted by military members.
Thirteen of the 30 were nominated by an Air National Guard or Army National Guard member.
"These 30 employers have gone above and beyond to provide our military men and women as well as their families the absolute best support possible," said ESGR Executive Director Ronald G. Young. "An employer's support is just as critical as a military member's family support and we are proud to have a way to recognize these outstanding employers through this program."
The 30 finalists include:
- Arizona Public Service, Phoenix, Army Reserve;
- Arvest Central Mortgage Co., Little Rock, Ark.;
- Air National Guard;
- AT&T, Dallas, Coast Guard Reserve;
- Baker Hughes Inc., Hobbs, N.M., Army National Guard;
- Capital One, McLean, Va., Army National Guard;
- Cardinal Health, Dublin, Ohio, Navy Reserve;
- Centerline Mechanical, Cave Creek, Ariz., Air National Guard;
- CH2M-WG Idaho, Idaho Falls, Idaho, Navy Reserve;
- Charles Crafts, Attorney at Law, Boise, Idaho, Navy Reserve;
- City of Shawnee, Kansas, Shawnee, Kan., Army Reserve;
- Delaware Motor Sales, Wilmington, Del., Army National Guard;
- DEMACO, West Melbourne, Fla., Marine Corps Reserve;
- General Mills Inc., Golden Valley, Minn., Army National Guard;
- Intellicorp Inc., Santa Clara, Calif., Army Reserve;
- J.G. Management Systems Inc., Grand Junction, Colo., Air Force Reserve;
- Judiciary of Guam, Hagatna, Guam, Navy Reserve;
- LA Fire Department, Los Angeles, Navy Reserve;
- Miramar Police Department, Miramar, Fla., Navy Reserve;
- New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, Concord, N.H., Army National Guard;
- North East Multi-Regional Training, Aurora, Ill., Army Reserve;
- PNC Bank, Pittsburgh, Army National Guard;
- PPD Inc., Morrisville, N.C., Army Reserve;
- Shelby County Public Schools, Shelbyville, Ky., Air National Guard;
- Snofner Vision Center, Nashville, Tenn., Air Force Reserve;
- St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tenn., Army Reserve;
- Triumph Pharmaceuticals, St. Louis, Army National Guard
- UNC Health Care, Chapel Hill, N.C., Navy Reserve;
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Denver Regional Office, Lakewood, Colo., Air National Guard;
- Washoe County School District, Reno, Nev., Air National Guard, and Zions Bank, Salt Lake City, Army National Guard.
Senior DOD officials, business leaders and prior awardees will now select up to 15 Freedom Award recipients to be honored at the 19th annual Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award ceremony here in September.