WASHINGTON – Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announced today the 15 recipients of the 2016 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, the highest honor the department gives to employers for support of National Guard and Reserve employees.
“These 15 employers have distinguished themselves through their outstanding support of our Guard and Reserve members and their families," said Defense Secretary Ash Carter. “Without the unfaltering support of employers like them, the men and women of the National Guard and Reserve would not be able to fulfill their vital roles in our National Security Strategy. It is a great honor for me to recognize these employers, and I congratulate them on their receipt of the Employer Support Freedom Award.”
The 2016 Freedom Award recipients below will be honored at a ceremony in the Pentagon Aug. 26:
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Employer
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Location
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Nominator’s Branch of Service
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Alaska Airlines
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Anchorage, AK
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Air Force Reserve
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Albuquerque Police Department
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Albuquerque, NM
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Air National Guard
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Benjamin Franklin Plumbing
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Springfield, MO
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Navy Reserve
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Burford Corporation
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Maysville, OK
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Army National Guard
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Carolinas Healthcare System
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Charlotte, NC
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Air National Guard
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Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office
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Oregon City, OR
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Army National Guard
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Delmarva Veteran Builders
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Salisbury, MD
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Air Force Reserve
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FASTSIGNS International, Inc.
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Carrollton, TX
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Air Force Reserve
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Hope Valley Industries
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North Kingstown, RI
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Air National Guard
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Idaho State Police
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Meridian, ID
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Army Reserve / Army National Guard
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Lowe’s
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Mooresville, NC
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Navy Reserve
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Maryland State Police
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Pikesville, MD
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Army Reserve
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Prairie Grove Consolidated School District 46
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Crystal Lake, IL
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Marine Corps Reserve
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Seattle Fire Department
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Seattle, WA
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Navy Reserve
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The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
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Akron, OH
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Navy Reserve
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The 2016 recipients were selected from 2,424 nominations received from Guardsmen and Reservists. The Freedom Award was instituted in 1996 under the auspices of ESGR to recognize exceptional support from the employer community. In the years since, 220 employers have been honored with the award.