Virginia Guard and Reserve members have five weeks to nominate their supportive employers for the 2011 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award before nomination season closes on Jan. 17, 2011. Guard and Reserve family members can also nominate their service member’s employer during this nomination season. The award is the U.S. government’s highest honor given to employers for their outstanding support of employees serving in the Guard and Reserve. Nearly one-half of the U.S. military is composed of the Guard and Reserve.

At the halfway mark, nearly 2,500 nominations have been received from Guard and Reserve members and their families from across the nation and around the world. Currently, the Army National Guard is leading among Guard and Reserve service branches, with 37 percent of the total nominations.

Guard and Reserve members and their families are eligible and encouraged to nominate employers that have provided exceptional support to Guard and Reserve employees beyond the federal law requirements. Nominations may be submitted at http://www.FreedomAward.mil through Jan. 17. The names of all nominated employers will be announced in the spring and the 15 Freedom Award recipients will be announced in early summer.

The Freedom Award was instituted in 1996 under the auspices of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense Agency, to recognize exceptional support of Guard and Reserve members from the employer community. In the past 15 years, 145 employers from across the nation have received this prestigious award. Established in 1972, ESGR’s mission is to develop and promote employer support for Guard and Reserve service by advocating relevant initiatives, recognizing outstanding support, increasing awareness of applicable laws, and resolving conflict between employers and service members.