Delaware Delegation Highlights Deadline for 2012 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award Nomination Season

WASHINGTON – Today, Sens. Tom Carper and Chris Coons and Congressman John Carney (all D-Del.) called attention to the approaching deadline for Delaware Guard and Reserve members to nominate their supportive employers for the 2012 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award before nomination season closes on January 16, 2012.

The 2012 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award is the U.S. government’s highest honor given to employers for their outstanding support of employees serving in the Guard and Reserve. Nearly one-half of the U.S. military is comprised of the Guard and Reserve, making the role of U.S. employers in support of employees in the military increasingly important.

More than 1,700 service members have submitted nominations since November 1; 13 of those nominations came from Delaware Guard and Reserve members. Service members who have yet to nominate their employers are urged to do so now. Guard and Reserve family members can also nominate their service member’s employer during this nomination season. Nominations may be submitted by service members, or a family member acting on their behalf, at www.FreedomAward.mil through January 16, 2012.

The 2012 recipients will be announced in early summer and honored in Washington, DC during a special ceremony next fall. All employers – large, small and public – are eligible for nomination. Recipients for the 2011 Freedom Award included diverse employers such as an automotive industry leader, a national financial services company, two sheriff’s departments, an Arizona town, and a church.

About Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (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. ESGR was established in 1972 to develop 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 visit www.FreedomAward.mil or contact Beth Sherman, ESGR Public Affairs, at 703-696-1171, ext. 539 or by email at ESGR-PA@osd.mil.

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