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WASHINGTON, Sept. 19, 2008 – Fifteen employers accepted a Defense Department award last night for their exceptional financial and emotional support of National Guard and Reserve members on their payrolls. Thomas F. Hall, assistant secretary of defense for reserve affairs; Air Force Lt. Gen. Craig R. McKinley, director of the Air National Guard; and David S.C. Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, prepare to present the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award at the Employer Support of Guard and Reserve ceremony Sept. 18, 2008, in Washington, D.C. Defens Dept. photo by John J. Kruzel  (Click photo for...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8, 2007 – The National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve is looking for a few good employers to recognize this year. The committee, in conjunction with the Office of the Secretary of Defense, announced today that it has begun accepting nominations for the 2007 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Awards. The nomination process will conclude Feb. 28. Founded in 1972, ESGR’s mission is to gain and maintain active support from public and private employers for the men and women of the National Guard and reserves. It also is a member of America...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 29, 2006 – Cardi’s Furniture Superstores in New England is one of 15 recipients of this year’s Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award for outstanding support of employees in the Guard and Reserve. “Cardi's Furniture Superstores is proud to receive this incredible honor,” said Benjamin DeCastro, the company’s promotions director. Rhode Island National Guardsman Sgt. Gerald Pincins, a Cardi’s employee, nominated the company for the award. “We are proud of Sergeant Pincins for his bravery while on his tours of duty,” DeCastro said. “We’re also proud of our staff who work hard every day to ensure that...

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., May 5, 2006 – The National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve honored eight Florida employers here yesterday for exceptional support of their military employees. Eight Florida employers sign 5-Star Statements of Support for the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. The signing was part of an awards breakfast held to honor the employers with ESGR's Above and Beyond award. Photo by Samantha L. Quigley  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. ESGR, established in 1972, is a Defense Department organization created to provide education, consultation and, if necessary, mediation...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4, 2005 – The New York Times, one of the country's leading daily newspapers, joined thousands of employers nationwide demonstrating support for the National Guard and Reserve employees here Nov. 3. Guy "Doc" Holliday, vice president for advertising, represented the Times in making an official declaration of support for the reserve components and their role in the nation's defense during a ceremony at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan. Holliday, an Army Reserve major who was mobilized for more than a year as part of the war on terror, signed a statement of support for the...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14, 2005 – Representatives of the nation's top organizations in supporting their Reserve and National Guard employees are here today to meet President Bush and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and to receive the 2005 Secretary of Defense Freedom Award. The award, to be presented here during an Oct. 15 ceremony, publicly recognizes employers for exceptional support above what the law requires. The Freedom Award is the highest in a series of Defense Department employer awards that include the Patriot Award, the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Above and Beyond Award, and the Pro Patria Award....

By signing Statements of Support of the National Guard and Reserve, employers and political leaders demonstrate their support for their National Guard and Reserve employees, their commitment to Operation Enduring Freedom, and their resolve to bolster the defense of the United States. This map depicts which state governors have signed Statements of Support. Click each State to view the organizations that have signed a Statement of Support.

In a show of support of deployed Guardsmen and reservists and their employers, Tyson Foods has announced plans to put the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve logo on all products the company ships to military facilities worldwide. Along with the ESGR logo, the product labels will include the phrase, "Proud Recipient of the Freedom Award." Tyson Foods received the prestigious ESGR award in 2003 for its exceptional support to its Guard and Reserve employees. Tyson Foods is the world's largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef and pork, and the second-largest food company in the Fortune 500. The...

The National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve is teaming up with local Chambers of Commerce to salute local employers who have demonstrated exceptional support for their employees who serve in the Guard and Reserve. The initiative is part of a broad outreach program to provide information and assistance to employers, local professional business organizations, local government officials and members of the Guard and Reserve, officials said. According to Bob Hollingsworth, ESGR executive director, the program marks a shift for the Defense Department agency, generally considered a resource for members of the reserve component. "Saluting America's employers...

A "dream team" of all-stars will race this year in NASCAR Busch Series salute to supportive employers of National Guardsmen and reservists. The National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve and Richard Childress Racing have teamed up for the effort. The ESGR No. 29 car will display the colors and logos of the seven Reserve components and will feature well-known drivers in the following races: Bobby Labonte April 3 – Texas Motor Speedway Army National Guard/Army Reserve Tony Stewart May 1 – California Speedway Marine Corps Reserve Ricky Craven July 10 – Chicagoland Speedway Navy Reserve Kerry...