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