An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | June 30, 2016

Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award recipients named

By Department of Defense

WASHINGTON - Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announced today the 15 recipients of the 2016 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, the highest honor the DOD gives to employers for support of National Guard and Reserve employees.

"These 15 employers have distinguished themselves through their outstanding support of our Guard and Reserve members and their families," said Secretary Carter. "Without the unfaltering support of employers like them, the men and women of the National Guard and Reserve would not be able to fulfill their vital roles in our national security strategy. It is a great honor for me to recognize these employers, and I congratulate them on their receipt of the Employer Support Freedom Award."

The 2016 Freedom Award recipients below will be honored at a ceremony in the Pentagon on Aug. 26:

Alaska Airlines; Anchorage, Alaska; nominated by Air Force Reserve

Albuquerque Police Department; Albuquerque, New Mexico; nominated by Air National Guard

Benjamin Franklin Plumbing; Springfield, Missouri; nominated by Navy Reserve

Burford Corporation; Maysville, Oklahoma; nominated by Army National Guard

Carolinas Healthcare System; Charlotte, North Carolina; nominated by Air National Guard

Clackamas County Sheriff's Office; Oregon City, Oregon; nominated by Army National Guard

Delmarva Veteran Builders; Salisbury, Maryland; nominated by Air Force Reserve

FASTSIGNS International, Inc.; Carrollton, Texas; nominated by Air Force Reserve

Hope Valley Industries; North Kingstown, Rhode Island; nominated by Air National Guard

Idaho State Police; Meridian, Idaho; nominated by Army Reserve / Army National Guard

Lowe's; Mooresville, North Carolina; nominated by Navy Reserve

Maryland State Police; Pikesville, Maryland; nominated by Army Reserve

Prairie Grove Consolidated School District 46; Crystal Lake, Illinois; nominated by Marine Corps Reserve

Seattle Fire Department; Seattle, Washington; nominated by Navy Reserve

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company; Akron, Ohio; nominated by Navy Reserve

The 2016 recipients were selected from 2,424 nominations received from Guardsmen and Reservists. The Freedom Award was instituted in 1996 under the auspices of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) to recognize exceptional support from the employer community. In the years since, 220 employers have been honored with the award.

 

 

Related Articles
U.S. Soldiers assigned to the 108th Medical Company Area Support, 213th Regional Support Group prepare dummies for a simulated casualty evacuation at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania, July 17, 2025. The 108th Medical Company engaged in a weeklong field medical exercise to validate their readiness and elevate their medical and basic Soldier skills. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Capt. Christopher Booker)
Pennsylvania Guard Medics Simulate Chaos in Exercise
By Capt. Christopher Booker, | July 18, 2025
FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. - Soldiers assigned to the Pennsylvania National Guard's 108th Medical Company Area Support, 213th Regional Support Group, are engaged in a comprehensive two-week field medical exercise here.The...

Nevada Air National Guard's 152nd Maintenance Group and 152nd Logistics Readiness Squadron personnel load Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) equipment onto MAFFS #8, aircraft #554 at the Nevada Air National Guard Base on July 12, 2025. U.S. Northern Command activated two Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) Aircraft, one from the 152nd Airlift Wing out of Reno, Nevada, and one from the 146th Airlift Wing out of Channel Islands Air National Guard Station in California. Two C-130 aircraft equipped with MAFFS and their associated personnel will support firefighting efforts in the Western United States. The 152nd Airlift Wing’s “High Rollers” and 146th Airlift Wing's “Hollywood Guard” report on July 14, 2025, and will be initially based out of Channel Islands Air National Guard Base in California and are anticipated to be in place through August 14, 2025.
Nevada Air Guard Wing Assists in Firefighting Efforts
By Senior Master Sgt. Paula Macomber, | July 18, 2025
RENO, Nev. – U.S. Northern Command has activated two Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System Aircraft, one from the Nevada Air National Guard’s 152nd Airlift Wing out of Reno, Nevada, and one from the 146th Airlift Wing out of...

Air Force Gen. Steve Nordhaus, 30th Chief of the National Guard Bureau, and Senior Enlisted Advisor John Raines, SEA to the CNGB, join Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Air Force Maj. Gen. Thomas Suelzer, the adjutant general of Texas, for an aerial assessment of flood-affected areas in Central Texas and to visit Guardsmen on duty supporting civil authorities with response efforts, Kerrville, Texas, July 15, 2025. To date, National Guard search and rescue operations, led by the Texas National Guard, have resulted in the rescue of more than 525 Texans. Hundreds of Guardsmen remain on mission to continue working with interagency partners in search and rescue and recovery operations.
Nordhaus, Raines see Heroism, Partnerships in Central Texas
By Master Sgt. Zach Sheely, | July 18, 2025
KERRVILLE, Texas – Early on July 4, almost 30 inches of rain fell within hours across Central Texas’s Hill Country, surging the Guadalupe River and triggering catastrophic flash flooding.Within hours, Texas National Guard...