DEARBORN – Ford Motor Co. is one of 15 recipients of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve’s 2011 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award.
The Freedom Award is the Department of Defense’s highest recognition given to employers for support of their employees serving in the Guard and Reserve.
Freedom Award recipients distinguish themselves by going to “extraordinary lengths” to support their military employees, according to a ESGR release.
Ford was among 4,049 nominations submitted by Guard and Reserve service members or their families. The company was nominated by an employee serving in the Navy Reserve.
The nominator said Ford “makes it easy to serve because they understand the necessity of the citizen soldier and the difficulties their loved ones are faced with as a result of their commitment.”
Ford has donated millions of dollars in recent years to support military programs and has more than 700 Reservists and Guardsmen, and more than 7,000 veterans working for it, according to the ESGR release.
“To stand out among the many thousands of employers who firmly support our citizen warriors is a testament to the remarkable efforts of these 15 recipients,” said Dennis McCarthy, assistant secretary of defense for reserve affairs. “On behalf of the Department of Defense, I congratulate the 2011 honorees and thank them for serving as outstanding partners in our nation’s defense.”