THIS WEEK, WE commemorated again those who fell on 9/11 and remembered the soldiers who continue to fight the war on terror in foreign lands. And on September 12, the Department of Defense recognized some ordinary civilians who do what they can to help our troops.
On Wednesday, 15 U.S. companies were awarded the Freedom Award by Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a division of the Department of Defense. ESGR was founded in 1972 to “gain and maintain employer support” for National Guard and Army Reserve members who hold civilian jobs, says spokeswoman Lt. Col. Michelle Barrett. Guard and Reserve members can nominate their company for the prestigious award–and many do so even while stationed in Iraq or Afghanistan. ESGR received 1,119 nominations for the 2007 award, a 25 percent increase from the previous year. Federal law guarantees Guard and Reserve members health benefits during deployment and reemployment and accrued seniority upon returning from service, but the award recipients do more.
