IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Fifteen Exceptional Employers Recognized for Top Honor
WASHINGTON – The Department of Defense announced the 15 recipients of the 2018 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, the highest U.S. government honor to employers for support of National Guard and Reserve employees.
„It is my pleasure to recognize these 15 outstanding civilian employers,” said Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis. „Our National Guard and Reserve members are a vital part of our national defense and deserve as much support as our country can provide. These 15 employers lead the way and we are grateful for their role in helping to keep our nation safe and secure.”
The Freedom Award recipients below will be honored August 24 at a Pentagon ceremony:
City/State
Employer
Austin, Texas
Texas Department of Insurance
Charlotte, North Carolina
Duke Energy
Dunlap, Tennessee
Dunlap Police Department
Hiawatha, Iowa
Crystal Group, Inc.
Ligonier, Indiana
AME Swiss Machining LLC
Malvern, Pennsylvania
Greencastle Associates Consulting, LLC
Newmarket, New Hampshire
ArgenTech Solutions, Inc.
Omaha, Nebraska
Werner Enterprises, Inc.
Raleigh, North Carolina
FMI Corporation
Salisbury, Maryland
Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office
Seattle, Washington
Amazon
Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
South Charleston, West Virginia
South Charleston Police Department
St. Louis, Missouri
Big Sky Advisors
St. Paul, Minnesota
Minnesota Department of Transportation
The 2018 recipients were selected from more than 2,350 nominations received from Guardsmen and Reservists highlighting how their civilian employers went far beyond what the federal law requires to support them. The Freedom Award began in 1996 under the auspices of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve to recognize exceptional employer support, with 250 honorees to date.
For more information about the Freedom Award and this year’s recipients, visit www.FreedomAward.mil. To learn more about ESGR, part of the Defense Personnel and Family Support Center, visit www.ESGR.mil.