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NEWS BRIEFS
Nominations sought to honor employers who support soldiers
Members of the National Guard and Reserve and their families across West Virginia are being encouraged to thank supportive employers this Thanksgiving by nominating them for the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award.
It's the highest recognition given by the U.S. government to employers for their support of employees serving in the National Guard and Reserve, according to a release.
Fifteen employers will be recognized this year, the 15th anniversary of the award.
Nominations will be accepted at www.FreedomAward.mil through January 18, 2010. National Guard and Reserve members and their families are eligible and encouraged to nominate employers that have provided exceptional support to military employees beyond the federal law requirements. Award nominees will be announced in mid winter 2010, and the 15 recipients will be announced in early summer.
According to the release, almost half of the U.S. military is comprised of the National Guard and Reserve, and many employers provide significant support to their employees who serve. The Freedom Award was instituted in 1996 under the auspices of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense Agency, to recognize exceptional support from the employer community.
States with the highest number of nominations include Arizona, California, Georgia, Ohio and Virginia.
