Delta Ambulance semifinalist for Employer Support Freedom Award

Apr 26, 2011

Arlington, Va. — The Department of Defense announced three Maine employers, including Delta Ambulance in Waterville, have been selected as semifinalists for the 2011 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award.

The Freedom Award is the DoD’s highest recognition given to employers for exceptional support of their employees serving in the Guard and Reserve. According to a DoD press release, Maine’s semifinalists stood out for their support of military employees as nationwide nominations for the Freedom Award rose 64 percent over last year.

The two other semifinalists from Maine are Bank of America in Belfast and Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset.

These Maine employers, which are among the 148 semifinalists, distinguished themselves from a pool of 4,049 nominations submitted by service members in 2011.

Employers chosen as semifinalists support their Guard and Reserve employees through a variety of formal and informal initiatives, including providing the difference between military and civilian salary during deployments, continuation of full benefits, sending care packages and supporting the families of employees fulfilling military obligations.

“Our nation’s ability to rely on the Guard and Reserve through nearly 10 years of war and during historic natural disasters is made possible by the tremendous support of employers,” said Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve National chairperson James G. Rebholz in the release.

“The employers selected as semifinalists have distinguished themselves by going above and beyond what the law requires, and I want to thank them for their critical support on behalf of our service members and our nation.”

A national review board will narrow the group of 148 semifinalists to 30 finalists for the Freedom Award. Then, a national selection board comprised of senior defense officials, business leaders and prior awardees will select the 15 recipients for the 2011 Freedom Award.

The DoD is expected to announce the finalists in May and the award recipients in early summer. The 2011 recipients will be honored Sept. 22, in Washington, D.C. at the 16th annual Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award Ceremony.

Last year’s recipients met privately with Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates prior to the ceremony.

Learn more:

Freedom Award
History of The Freedom Award

DoD/ESGR Press Release