Sep. 18, 2009 (Business Wire) -- Fifteen employers from across the nation were honored by Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn, III with the 2009 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award on September 17, 2009 at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, DC. The highest recognition given by the U.S. Government to employers for their outstanding support of employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve, the 2009 Freedom Awards were presented at a ceremony attended by members of Congress, senior military officials and business industry leaders.
The Freedom Award ceremony featured an address by Dr. Jill Biden, wife of the Vice President and mother of an Army National Guardsman serving in Iraq.
For videos of the 2009 Freedom Awards Ceremony, Dr. Biden and Secretary Lynn’s remarks, visit www.FreedomAward.mil/NewsRoom/Videos.aspx.
This year’s recipients are:
AeroDyn Wind Tunnel LLC – Mooresville, N.C.
AstraZeneca International – Wilmington, Del.
Cambridge, MA Fire Department – Cambridge, Mass.
Consolidated Electrical Distributors, Inc. – North Charleston, S.C.
First Data Corporation – Atlanta, Ga.
FMC Technologies – Houston, Texas
Jackson Parish Sheriff’s Department – Jonesboro, La.
Marks, O’Neill, O’Brien & Courtney, P.C. – Wilmington, Del.
Microsoft Corporation – Redmond, Wash.
Mid America Kidney Stone Association, LLC – Kansas City, Mo.
NetJets – Columbus, Ohio
Ohio Department of Public Safety – Columbus, Ohio
Perpetual Technologies, Inc. – Indianapolis, Ind.
Santa Ana Police Department – Santa Ana, Calif.
TriWest Healthcare Alliance – Phoenix, Ariz.
Prior to the ceremony, Freedom Award recipients met privately with Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates where they were thanked for superior support of the nation’s citizen soldiers. A record 3,202 nominations for the award were submitted by National Guard and Reserve members or their families from across the nation.
Almost one-half of the total U.S. military strength is comprised of the National Guard and Reserve. The Department of Defense shares these citizen warriors with their civilian employers, many of whom provide significant support to their employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve.
Media Notes: To speak with recipients and their Guard and Reserve employee nominators please contact Maj. Melissa Phillips at 703-380-9262 or by email at Melissa.Phillips@osd.mil.
About the Award
The Freedom Award is a Secretary of Defense award that was instituted in 1996 under the auspices of the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) to recognize exceptional support from the employer community. Previous recipients include American Express, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Sears, Home Depot, the State of Tennessee and the Winner School District of South Dakota. For more information, please visit www.FreedomAward.mil.
About ESGR
Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) is a Department of Defense agency established in 1972 that seeks to promote a culture in which all American employers support and value the military service of their employees. ESGR recognizes outstanding support, increases awareness of the law, and resolves conflict through mediation. More information is available at www.esgr.mil.
