Employer awards recognize outstanding support for Reserve members

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  • By Staff Reports
  • 931st Air Refueling Group Public Affairs
McConnell Air Force Base, Kan. --  Citizen Airmen who support and defend the Constitution by wearing an Air Force uniform can only successfully balance their family, civilian employment and Reserve commitment with the support of their civilian employer. Sometimes, those employers may go above and beyond to support their military employee.

Air Force Reservists who want to thank their employer for this support can recognize them by nominating that employer for one of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve employer recognition awards.

Known commonly as "ESGR," the focus of the organization is to promote an understanding of both the National Guard and Reserve as well as encourage support of employers in development of human resource policies and practices that support an employee's participation in the military. ESGR also works to inform and educate employers on the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act as well as help foster the willingness of employers to support their employees called to military service for long periods of time and greater frequency.

"We view our employers as perhaps unsung heroes who make sacrifices for national defense and the military member," said Jim Wishart, Kansas Committee chairman for ESGR Area 6,"We try to work with our employer community to educate and inform them about the importance of a strong national defense and the role that the Guard and Reserve play."

The Patriot Award is the first step in saying "thank you." This award recognizes an employer for his or her support of National Guard and Reserve members. Nominees of the Patriot Award receive a Department of Defense Certificate of Appreciation and a "Patriot" lapel pin. All members of the National Guard and Reserve are eligible to nominate their employers and can nominate them online at www.esgr.org/newforms.asp?p=patriot.

The next award level is the "Above and Beyond" Award, which is given in limited numbers by state and territory ESGR offices. This award recognizes employers who have gone above and beyond the legal requirements for granting leave and providing support for military duty by their employees. Submissions can be made by individual Guard and Reserve members and go through their local ESGR contact, listed on the national ESGR local contacts page at http://www.esgr.org/site/Contact/StateLocalContacts.aspx.

The "Pro Patria Award" is the next level of recognition a Guardsmen or Reservist can give an employer. This award is presented annually by each state or territory ESGR organization to one employer who has provided the most exceptional support to national defense through leadership practices and personnel policies that support their Guard or Reserve. The Pro Patria award is also the highest level of recognition given by Kansas ESGR.

Lastly, the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award is the highest recognition given by the U.S. Government to employers for their support. Nominations must come from a Guard or Reserve member who is employed by the organization they are nominating, or from a family member of the Reservists or Guardsman.

The Freedom Award was created to publicly recognize employers who provide exceptional support to a Guardsman or Reservist and is presented by the Secretary of Defense annually to the nation's 15 most supportive employers. The nomination season opens the first working day of November and closes the third Monday of January. More information on the Freedom Award can be found at www.freedomaward.mil.

Guardsmen or Reservists can nominate their employer for any ESGR award via the Freedom Award website.

According to Mr. Wishart, Kansas employers have supported their Guard and Reserve employees very well.

"What we have found in Kansas is that our employers might be more patriotic than in many other states," said Mr. Wishart. "They are very supportive, they are more educated about the importance of national defense and they are just plain willing to make sacrifices to fill in gaps while an employee is deployed or actively serving."

Members interested in more information on these awards can contact the Kansas Committee ESGR via their website www.esgr.org. Awards can be found on the "Programs" tab.