ESGR Announces Air Force Reserve Nominations for 2012 Secretary of Defense

  • Published
ARLINGTON, Va --  Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense agency, announced 108 North Carolina Guard and Reserve members nominated their employers for the 2012 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award. The agency received 3,236 nominations nationwide. The Freedom Award is the Department of Defense's highest recognition for employers supporting members of the Guard and Reserve. Up to 15 recipients will be announced this summer and honored in Washington, D.C. on September 20 at the 17th annual Freedom Award Ceremony.

Guard and Reserve members, or family members acting on their behalf, nominated their civilian employers for the Freedom Award during the 12-week nomination season. Guard and Reserve members, who stand ready to serve whenever our Nation needs them, often put their civilian lives on hold when they answer the call to duty. Supportive employers provide a tremendous amount of stability and peace of mind to these Citizen Warriors and their families, enabling them to continue their dedicated service to our country.

Guardsmen and Reservists continue to receive outstanding support from their employers," said ESGR National Chair James G. Rebholz. "America's employers have not wavered in their commitment to these Citizen Warriors."

Almost one-half of the U.S. military is comprised of the Guard and Reserve, and while most employers proudly support their military employees, Freedom Award recipients go above and beyond what is required by law. Last year's recipients were nominated for superior acts of support including driving a deployed employee's children to school, replacing a military employee's broken family refrigerator while he was serving abroad, and working overtime to cover a service member's shifts so he could take part in military training.

A list of nominations from all 50 states, U.S. territories and the District of Columbia are available at www.FreedomAward.mil. Semifinalists for the 2012 Freedom Award will be announced later next month.

About ESGR and the Freedom Award:
The Freedom Award was instituted in 1996 under the auspices of ESGR to recognize exceptional support from the employer community. In the years since, 160 employers have been honored with the award. Established as a DoD agency 40 years ago, ESGR develops and maintain employer support for Guard and Reserve service. ESGR advocates relevant initiatives, recognizes outstanding support, increases awareness of applicable laws, and resolves conflict between service members and employers. Paramount to ESGR's mission is encouraging employment of Guardsmen and Reservists who bring integrity, global perspective and proven leadership to the civilian workforce.

For questions or interviews regarding the Freedom Award, please contact Beth Sherman, ESGR Public Affairs, at 571-372-0705 or by email at ESGR-PA@osd.mil.

The following North Carolina employers were nominated for the Freedom Award:

Papa John's
Aberdeen

A Child's World Learning Center
Advance

Asheville Fire Department
Asheville

Buncombe County Sheriff's Office
Asheville

United States Postal Service
Asheville

Brunswick County Schools
Bolivia

AT&T
Boone

Laboratory Corporation of America
Burlington

North Carolina Department of Correction
Butner

Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune, Department of the Navy
Camp Lejeune

John Deere
Cary

SAS Institute, Inc.
Cary

UNC Hospitals
Chapel Hill

UNC Orthopedics
Chapel Hill

Bank of America
Charlotte

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department
Charlotte

Duke Energy
Charlotte

FMS-05
Charlotte

iQor Holdings, Inc.
Charlotte

Reformed Theological Seminary
Charlotte

University of NC at Charlotte
Charlotte

Wells Fargo & Company*
Charlotte

WSOC TV
Charlotte

Harrah's Cherokee Casino
Cherokee

Sysco Charlotte
Concord

Durham City Transit Company
Durham

Durham County Fire Marshall
Durham

Durham District Social Security Administration
Durham

Novella Clinical
Durham

Sodexo-Campus Services
Durham

Albemarle Hospital - Endoscopy Department
Elizabeth City

DRS Technologies & C3 Aviation
Elizabeth City

Town of Elkin
Elkin

Buck Naked Tan, LLC
Fayetteville

Fayetteville ATCT (FAA)
Fayetteville

FreeCo, Inc.
Fayetteville

Old North Utility Services
Fort Bragg

Womack Army Medical Center
Fort Bragg

United States Postal Service
Franklinton

Waste Industries, Inc.
Garner

Daimler Trucks North America Gastonia Components & Logistics
Gastonia

Gaston County Sheriff's Office
Gastonia

Dynamic Quest
Greensboro

FMS#9
Greensboro

Guilford County Emergency Medical Services
Greensboro

Jones Lang LaSalle
Greensboro

NC Division of Community Correction
Greensboro

Panera Bread
Greensboro

AAR
Hampstead

City of Hickory Fire Department
Hickory

Institution Food House, Inc.
Hickory

Marine Federal Credit Union
Jacksonville

Sodexo
Jacksonville

United States Postal Service
Jacksonville

PVH Corporation
Jonesville

James Sprunt Community College
Kenansville

Lenoir Memorial Hospital
Kinston

Flawless Hair and Nail Studio
Lexington

Silver Spur Saloon & Restaurant
Love Valley

Apple, Inc.
Maiden

Sports Endeavors, Inc.
Mebane

Mint Hill Police
Mint Hill

Division of Commerce Employment Security Office
Monroe

Tyco-Scott Safety
Monroe

Lowe's Companies, Inc.*
Mooresville

Texas Steakhouse and Saloon
Morehead City

ADT Security
Morrisville

Time Warner Cable
Morrisville

USfalcon, Inc.
Morrisville

Eastern Carolina Organics
Pittsboro

CorVel Corporation
Raleigh

Dillon Supply
Raleigh

Duane Bullock
Raleigh

Gregory Poole Equipment Company
Raleigh

Nationwide Insurance
Raleigh

Raleigh Hand Center P. A.
Raleigh

Raleigh Police Department
Raleigh

S&ME, Inc.
Raleigh

Smith Anderson Blount Dorsett Mitchell & Jernigan, LLC
Raleigh

Wake County Sheriff's Office
Raleigh

Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program
Raleigh

ViiV Healthcare
Research Triangle Park

West Fraser
Riegelwood

United States Postal Service
Roanoke Rapids

Bradley K. Greenway, District Attorney
Rutherfordton

City of Salisbury
Salisbury

Holden Brothers Produce
Shallotte

Carolina Urology Partners
Shelby

Johnston County Public Health Department
Smithfield

Wm. T, Burnett & Co.
Statesville

Lowe's Companies Inc.
Sylva

Southwestern Community College
Sylva

Sylva Police Department
Sylva

Edgecombe County Sheriff Department
Tarboro

Kanoy Architecture, P.A.
West End

Coastal Vision Center, OD, PA
Whiteville

Browning Tire Town
Wilmington

General Electric Hitachi*
Wilmington

Forsyth County Sheriff's Office
Winston-Salem

Ryder Transportation
Winston-Salem

WilcoHess - AT Williams Co
Winston-Salem

Craige Brawley Liipfert & Walker LLP
Winston-Salem

Forsyth County Sheriff's Office
Winston-Salem

NC Department of Transportation - 9th Division
Winston-Salem

Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Winston-Salem

*Denotes employer received more than one nomination