NOMINEES FOR DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE'S TOP EMPLOYER AWARD NAMED
SPRINGFIELD, IL (03/18/2015)(readMedia)-- Illinois Employers Recognized by National Guard and Reserve Members
Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense (DoD) office, announces more than 80 Illinois employers of Guard and Reserve employees have been nominated for the 2015 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award (commonly referred to as the "Freedom Award").
The Freedom Award is the highest recognition given by the DoD to employers for their support of National Guard and Reserve members. On behalf of the Secretary of Defense, ESGR runs the annual award program, which has presented the honor to 205 employers since 1996.
Almost half of the U.S. military is made up of National Guard and Reserve members, many of whom also hold jobs with civilian employers. The Freedom Award recognizes those employers that provide the most outstanding support for these Citizen Warriors. Up to 15 employers will be selected for this year's award and honored at the Pentagon in an official ceremony in August.
Nominations for the Freedom Award must come from a Guard or Reserve member who is employed by the organization they are nominating, or from a family member. This year's nominees represent large and small employers from almost every industry, including health, transportation, hospitality, entertainment, banking, service and security (just to name a few), as well as from state and local governments. ESGR received nominations for employers in all 50 states, Guam-CNMI, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia.
Semifinalists and finalists will be announced in sequence throughout the coming months with the recipients being announced in late June. Updates, press releases and a complete list of the 2,960 nominees can be found at www.freedomaward.mil.
2015 Freedom Award Nominations from Illinois:
AbbVie
Advocate Christ Medical Center
AIT WorldWide Logistics
Alsip Police Department
American Agricultural Insurance Company, Inc.
AMSA 138 G, 88th RSC
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
ARAMARK Healthcare
Armorstone Prestige
Astellas Pharma US, Inc.
Atlas Screen Supply Company
Avaya, Inc.
B&D Independence, Inc.
Caterpillar
Chatham Community Fire Protection District
Chicago Police Department
City of Kewanee
City of Rolling Meadows Police Department
City of Wenona Police Department
Collinsville Community Unit School District 10
ComEd
Cook County Sheriff's Office
D Hangout Bar & Grill
Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital
Equity Residential
Exelon Corporation - Byron Generating Station
Experian
Federal Bureau of Investigation*
Federal Bureau of Prisons
Fellowes, Inc.
Fort's Toyota of Pekin
Golden Corridor Family YMCA
Goodworth Kitchie and Associates LLC
GreenPath Debt Solutions
Havana Police Department
Huntley Police Department
Icon Mechanical
Illinois Gaming Investors. LLC
Illinois State Police
Information Technology Partners, Inc.
Insight
Iron Workers Local 46
J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc.
JA Frate
JCPenney
Jet Support Services, Inc.
Kirby Medical Center
KPI Contracting
Kraft Foods Group, Inc.
Lake County State's Attorney's Office
Lake Zurich Police Department
Marseilles Area Ambulance Service
Max Muscle Sports Nutrition
NACCO Materials Handling Group Inc.
Nalco Company
National Railway Equipment Company
Paramedic Services of Illinois
Passavant Area Hospital
Presence St. Mary's Hospital
Proven Business Systems
Quantum Vision Centers
Republic Services
Rock Falls Township High School
Rock Island Arsenal - Joint Manufacturing & Technology Center (RIA-JMTC)
School of Nursing Saint Xavier University
Schrank's Smoke 'N Gun
Sherwin-Williams
Springfield Clinic
State Farm
SunDogIT
Superior Carriers
The Home Depot
The Plus Group, Inc.
Union Iron
United Airlines, Inc.
United States Postal Service
United States Secret Service
United States Social Security Administration
UnityPoint Health - Proctor Hospital
University of Illinois
Village of Glenview
W.W. Grainger, Inc.
Walmart Supercenter #0256
Win-Bur-Sew Fire Protection District
*Denotes employer received more than one nomination
This year's complete list of nominees (representing all 56 ESGR committees) is available at: http://www.freedomaward.mil/TemplateDetailsView.aspx?TemplateID=6406&ModuleID=7