Eaton Corporation was honored with the Freedom Award in 2005 after an employee nomination from its Kearney, Neb. facility. Judy Altmaier, an automotive vice president, attended the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve meeting in Washington where Eaton received the award. 

One of 15 Freedom Award recipients in 2005, Idaho Power continues to provide strong support for Guard and Reserve employees by supplementing their military pay if it falls below their current salary level, and providing ongoing health benefits. The company works very hard to return its Guard and Reserve employees to their original positions upon return from military leave, and provides them with partial and/or short-term disability if they were injured during their time of military service. 

A 2005 honoree of the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, Ryland continues to provide its National Guardsmen and Reservists with full benefits (life, health and dental). 

Southwest Airlines, a Freedom Award recipient in 2001, currently has more than 700 employees serving in the National Guard and Reserve. Each time a Southwest Airlines’ employee is called to active duty, a member of the company’s Internal Customer Care (ICC) team immediately jumps into action. The ICC team takes on the responsibility of sharing the “LUV” (symbol on the NY Stock Exchange) of the Southwest family by sending deployed members a care package that includes items such as posters, magazines, lip balm, a Southwest Airlines cap, an “Armed with LUV” T-shirt, alarm clock, postcards, and mints. 

A winner of the 2005 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, USAA's 22,000+ employees embody the association's core values of service, loyalty, honesty and integrity. USAA continues to provide strong support for its Guard and Reserve members and their families by sponsoring and managing an intranet site specifically designed to support deploying employees and their spouses.