Tinker nominated for 2007 Freedom Award

Published June 5, 2007
By 72nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs
Tinker Air Force Base Public Affairs

Tinker Air Force Base --     National Guardsmen and Reservists from Oklahoma including Tinker Air Force Base have nominated their employers to receive the 2007 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award.
   This award is the highest honor the Department of Defense bestows in recognition of employers who provide outstanding support to their employees serving in the National Guard and Reserve and their families.
   Oklahoma businesses and organizations nominated include: Oklahoma Farm Bureau MIC, Oklahoma City; AT&T, Tulsa; Sgt. Grit, Oklahoma City; Nordam, Tulsa; Miko Group Inc., Norman; OC-ALC/MAS, Tinker; Bank of Oklahoma, Tulsa; The Cherokee Nation, Tahlequah; Choctaw Nation Health Care, Talihina; Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, Tulsa; Oklahoma College of Construction, Oklahoma City; and Runt's Barbeque LLC, Broken Arrow.
   Over a thousand National Guard and Reserve members from across the country nominated their employers for their exceptional provision of continued benefits, differential pay, family assistance and additional support to help ease the transition from civilian employees to active military personnel and back.
   These organizations are among more than 1,100 businesses nominated by their National Guard and Reserve employees for the Freedom Award by their employees. A national selection board comprised of senior Defense officials and business leaders will select up to 15 recipients for this year's award.
   The 2007 Freedom Awards will be presented at a gala banquet at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 12.
   The Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award publicly recognizes employers for exceptional support above federal law requirements. It is the highest in a series of DOD awards that honor employers who provide excellent support for their National Guard and Reserve employees.
   The Freedom Award is particularly significant because only members of the National Guard and Reserve or their family members are permitted to nominate employers for the award. ESGR will announce the 2007 Freedom Award recipients this summer.