The Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award is the highest recognition given by the U.S. Government to employers for their support of their employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve.
Transcript
Oh, say can you see By the dawn’s early light What so proudly we hailed At the twilight’s last gleaming Whose broad stripes and bright stars Through the perilous fight O’er the ramparts we watched Were so gallantly streaming And the rocket’s red glare The bombs bursting in air Gave proof through the night That our flag was still there Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave O’er the land of the free And the home of the brave
And let us pray. Gracious and Almighty God, we are grateful for employers who are colleagues in the call to the profession of arms. Employers of Guard and Reserve service members, they demonstrate over and over again that a national defense is not possible without a national commitment. We’re grateful for large and small businesses who are not afraid to step in so service members can step up. You have called our employers to be part of the Guard and Reserve military family and for that, our family is richer and deeper. Our Freedom Award honorees, they don’t see deployments as a detriment. They know the difference between OPCs and Ocean Pacific wear. They value the employees who wear the cloth of our nation. They irrigate the soil of liberty, weed the fields of freedom, and cultivate the American culture that grows honor, duty and country. Defending this nation requires a commitment of people from all walks of life and we thank employers for taking this military job and loving it. Their purpose goes beyond paychecks, their efforts beyond ego and their faithfulness beyond fickle. May they never falter or fail in fulfilling work and mission to faithfully support our service members. And lastly, gracious God, accept our thanks for all employers who made the journey to D.C., and for these beacons of military light. May they continue supporting and keeping the fabric of patriotism woven tightly in the land of the free and the home of the brave. Through your name we pray, amen.
[Man] Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated. We have as our master of ceremonies an award winning journalist who is currently a news anchor and reporter at ABC7 in Washington, D.C. During his career, he’s covered some significant stories including the Washington area sniper case, hurricanes Rita and Katrina, and the Boston Marathon bombings where he was the only reporter at the finish line. Earning the highest awards in broadcasting, a Dupont, a Peabody, and a National Emmy Award. He is a friend of the military having started the Welcome Home Project, a group that works to recognize and thank returning Purple Heart recipients and heading up the 7 Salute beat, which highlights stories about men and women serving or who have served in uniform. He has also served as an adjunct professor at the U.S. Army War College for nearly 10 years. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Mr. Jonathan Elias. (audience applauding)
How are we doing? How are we doing guys? (audience responding unintelligibly) That’s so weak. Come on, it’s Friday. You’re not parked, you’re not parked in front of your computer with somebody nagging you about something you got to do. So how are we doing today?
[Audience] Good.
So first of all, good morning and welcome now to the 24th annual Secretary Defense Employer Support Freedom Award. That’s the script on the teleprompter that I’m supposed to read to you. And this is where I depart from that script. So first of all, welcome to the Pentagon for those of you who have never been to the Pentagon. Raise your hand if you’ve never been here before. Now hopefully, oh, good for you. Hopefully we’re going to keep the name, the Pentagon, because I know the president’s fond of another sixth branch. We have five sides and we have five branches. Hexagon doesn’t sound as cool, does it? I’m going over to the Hexagon for a meeting. That doesn’t work. But if you’re new to the Pentagon and maybe you’re new to dealing with military at this level, if you’re ever in the wild, there is a guttural response that comes from the different branches and I will demonstrate for you. Are there Marines in the room? (audience members responding unintelligibly) So weak. Where are the Marines again? (audience members responding unintelligibly) Okay, there’s not very many Marines in the room otherwise they’re a lot louder than that. Army, are there Army in the room? (audience members responding unintelligibly) Now, that’s how it’s done, see. Navy? You see, the Navy won’t say anything. (audience laughing) Well, now, I’ve become a friend of the Navy and they have a defense. They’re on shifts, they’re out at sea, and even if they said anything, nobody would hear them anyway. So they’re defensible. Air Force. (audience members responding unintelligibly) Oh, go on. You guys are stealing that from the Army and you know it. (audience members murmuring) Now, in years past, I’ve picked on the Air Force. I have since been audited, not by the IRS, but by the psyops branch of the Air Force. They’re really good by the way. And I’ve taken a lot of heat. Now I’m a brat of the Air Force. My father was a captain in the Air Force and every year I poke fun of the Air Force, I’m guaranteed that somebody that I’m introducing is Air Force. And I read ahead in the script and wouldn’t you know it, today, the guest speaker’s Air Force. So I’m not gonna make fun because he’s a major general and he could have me shot before I left the building. So I do want to help the Air Force out a little bit though. I was in an F-16, pulled nine Gs. Maybe you guys want to go with something like, ugh! Because that was the noise. (audience laughing) That was the noise I made as my eyes were stuck to the back of my skull and I couldn’t find any more blood in my head to say anything. And then the best part was the pilot said, okay John, we’re pulling nine Gs now. How are you doing back there? I died. And then there’s the Coast Guard. I used to be relentless with the Coast Guard because I had friends who were Coasties and I used to make fun of them all the time. That will never happen again. Do you know why? Thank you. This Coast Guard cutter intercepted a narco-submarine in the Pacific. From a moving boat to a moving sub, these three guys with their full kits on and M4s jumped on said moving sub, banged on the hatch, yelling, (speaking in foreign language). That’s “stop your boat.” You had to use the right language to understand with the folks inside, and they opened the hatch. Can you imagine being at sea as a narco, think you got this thing licked and you open the hatch and there’s a Coast Guardsman with his gun pointed right at you telling you to stop your boat. I will never again make fun of the Coast Guard. And in fact… (audience laughing and applauding) In fact, I’ll go a little further. I think the Coast Guard’s new slogan should be, yee haw! That’s what they should say. So maybe we should try that. Do I have any Coasties out there? How are we doing today?
[Audience Members] Yee haw!
There is. It’s all you gotta do, man. There’s sub chasers. They’re not sub chasers, they’re sub riders. That takes, like, I’m shocked that sub didn’t sink from the weight of the “guts” of those Coast Guardsmen. All right, with that out of the way. So I do want to share something with you because every now and again I’ve been known not to be so PC. I’m working on it. I’m working on it. My co-anchor, who I love dearly and she’s from Florida, she’s a southern girl, she says, John, you got to stop calling people knuckleheads. It’s just not polite. I said, well what should I say instead? And she says, something like, bless their hearts or bless her heart, bless his heart. So I said, okay, I’ll give it a go. So like you, on Sundays during football season, I see folks take a knee. Not very many of them, but they take a knee. And then recently at an international event with games, the fencing team won the gold medal. And the three guys get up there. Now, first of all, fencing, who, raise your hands has ever seen a fencing match, ever? Bless your heart. (audience laughing) So here’s what happens. This guy takes a knee and I’m thinking to myself, okay, listen, you got the freedom to do whatever you want. We live in a great country. Those freedoms are provided to you, knock yourself out. I wouldn’t have done it, don’t recommend it. Bless your heart. But then came the part where I heard somebody say, it takes a lot of courage to do what he did. And that’s the part of this that my head almost exploded. I was like, are you kidding me? That takes courage? Where I come from and how I was raised, courage defines, it’s defined a little differently than that. Let’s go with this definition. We have young men and women in our country who selflessly sacrifice their time, their futures, everything about what they do to serve a greater good, our country, our flag. And when they go off, they’re standing up for our country. They’re willing to stand up and fight for our country. And in some cases they’re willing to stand up and fight and die for our country. These young men and women, they enlist and they go off and they’re sent to some random FOB in some remote part of the world in some garden spot, said sarcastically, and they serve in that spot and they sacrifice so many milestones in life. A first child being born, a first birthday celebrated, anniversaries, graduations, I could go on with that list, but they sacrifice all of those things parked in some FOB, standing as our frontline against evil. And don’t kid yourself. I mean, for the folks that are visiting, the guys who have, you know, we’ve already covered all the bases in the military, I’m singing to the choir. There is evil in this world that would love nothing more than tear apart the fabric of the blanket of freedom that was built by our founding fathers, and is continued, that tapestry is continued with our forefathers, our grandfathers, our fathers, and now our sons and daughters. They stand at the front line and they are willing to fight and die to protect and preserve that. To me, that is courage. And with that said, every member of the Reserve and Guard unit who is with us today, would you please stand so we could recognize you appropriately. (applauding) Thank you for your service. Thank you for your service and your sacrifice. Understanding the military as I do, they’re only as good as their families behind them. When they deploy, they leave behind a spouse, a spouse that does the job of two with all the responsibilities, with all the concerns and worries, worries about bills being paid, food getting on the table, and more importantly, is their loved one going to come back to them unharmed and unfazed by what they’ve seen and endured. Will the family members please stand so we can recognize you. (applauding) Thank you very much. Now that dovetails perfectly into why we’re here. From the OMA, which is the Office of Military Acronyms, you love your acronyms, we’re here to celebrate this BAE. Anybody know what a BAE is? It’s a big ass eagle. That big ass eagle, that’s the Freedom Award and that’s a big dang deal. And the Freedom Award is given to those employers out there that not just go above and beyond, they do fabulous work in the lives of those who are deployed. Says a lot about an employer when you have somebody that goes off to stand on those front lines of our country and preserve our freedoms and they take care of not just making sure that job is there when they come back, but they go above and beyond to plug into the life of the family, make sure that they’re doing okay, that they can alleviate any stress if they can do that, and then when that deployee comes back, they become a shoulder to cry on if that’s what’s needed, somebody to talk to, counseling to get help to get through whatever they went through to help them kind of transition back into the civilian life. These employers are amazing and we’re not just celebrating the 15 that are here today, because they are amazing and I’ll read you each of their stories and I will stick to script then. But there were 2,415 different nominees that we had a pool to choose from this year alone. Now those are the only ones that showed up on radar. There are tens of thousands of employers out there that are doing the right thing by our members of the military. A big round of applause, and please, for all 15 employers, stand up for us. (applauding) Thank you very much. All right, I think I’ve said everything I got to say. Again, I’m not a big fan of the Hexagon and I think… (audience laughing) If somebody, I haven’t checked my Twitter feed because he may have changed his mind today, but I wish President Trump would just give it to the Air Force because you guys are good with things that go up in the air. At anytime anybody on the ground gets in trouble, who do they call? That’s right. The Air Force. It’s just when they deploy the Air Force is a little more concerned about remote controls, couches, and I mean, let’s be honest, I mean the Marines, you know, they dig a hole in the dirt and they go, it’s a bed. Army, they got cots in the middle 120 degrees, they go, I can’t wait to get some rest. The Air Force is like, that will never do. (audience laughing) You knew I had to throw jabs in there. I think it has something to do with my dad. Maybe that’s what it is. Some black couch and a Xanax will take care of that problem in no time. All right. I want to introduce now today’s keynote speaker. He’s Air Force, wouldn’t you know. It’s the Honorable James Stewart. Did your parent’s love “It’s a Wonderful Life”? Is that where that came from? Did you get that as a kid? You’re Jimmy Stewart? Do you have a good impersonation of him? We’ll work on it before the day’s out. He’s the assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, performing duties under the Secretary of Defense in personal readiness. His business card is about that long. (audience laughing) That, sir, is when we need an acronym badly. Mr. Stewart was sworn in as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs on October 22nd, 2018. Congratulations. And in this capacity he serves as the principal advisor to the Secretary of Defense on all matters relating to civilian and military personnel policies, Reserve integration, military community, family policy, total force planning and requirements and how to best psyop audit Jonathan Elias and ruin his credit. That was awesome. (audience laughing) Well done. Prior to his role, Mr. Stewart served as the Economic Development Committee Chair, North Carolina Military Affairs, commissioned by appointment of Governor Pat McCrory. Mr. Stewart has also had a distinguished military route career, retiring from the Air Force. Let’s hear it from the Air Force. What do you guys say? (audience members responding unintelligibly) Exactly. Bless your heart. (audience laughing) He was a major general after 37 years of distinguished service with the Air Force and active reserve components during his career. Ladies and gentlemen, please go crazy for Mr. Stewart. (audience applauding and cheering) (men speaking unintelligibly)
That’s actually my coin, it’s Jimmy Stewart. So I mean, you have to have a coin. And it is a wonderful life, I might add. Well, good morning to all of you. I can’t top that, believe me. Jonathan is a pro. I’m not necessarily so, but I do want to go ahead and thank everyone on behalf of our new Secretary of Defense, Mark Esper; the Deputy Secretary, David Norquist; and again, for the whole of the Department of Defense, welcome to all of you. I’m really honored to be here to thank and salute the 15 employers. There are many employers out there, I know it as a former reservist. I depended on my employers to provide me some wonderful individuals out there. And each of you employers know that. That’s why you’ve employed them, is because they are tremendous at what they do. Secretary Norquist had some important information that he had to get from the secretary, so I got stuck with a job, but then again, hey, his loss is my gain, right? Because again, I’ve actually been involved with the ESGR for many, many years. You know, I served 37 years, as was mentioned. 23 of that was with the Reserves. And again, that was through the timeframe of a young major till the time I actually made a two star within the Air Force Reserve. Commander three times, needed my employers out there because again, during that time we were deploying a good bit. And they have. Think about it for a minute. Since 9-11, we’ve been going nonstop. Those Reservists out there, remember those two weeks that we were supposed to go in and say that they would do? And, oh, by the way, just those weekends. It’s kind of grown since then, hasn’t it? So it’s not necessarily your father’s Reserve component. That was a strategic Reserve. We’re more of an operational Reserve today. And so really, it’s very, very important that we recognize all of you today as employers because you make it happen. If we did not have you there with your support network, our members would not be able to go ahead and serve because they’d be too worried about their job and their families. And so we can’t thank you enough for everything that you do. I want to thank Jonathan. He’s a staunch supporter of this event and other military causes. Voices like his ensure our citizens stay connected to our service members. I want to also thank Ed Brent, Chaplain Ed Brent for those wonderful, wonderful words in the invocation. Obviously to the ESGR and its members and in particular Retired General, Air Force, Craig McKinley. So again, for the ESGR staff, thank you very much for doing this. And all the civilian and uniform members who are here that took time out of your schedules to be here, I really want to thank you. More importantly, those service members in attendance. And let me see those Reservists and Guardsmen out there again. Would you please stand? Because again, I want to recognize all of you. (audience applauding) But it’s not about them today. It’s about our employers, isn’t it? And that’s really why we’re here, is for the Freedom Award. I enjoyed last night. I’m sorry I was late to the festivities. We have a few things going on with the transition team in place with a new secretary and new deputy. But I really wanted to be there because I really wanted to hear the stories that are associated with the employers that are out there. For instance, those small employers like Angel Santiago who has, how many in your particular auto shop? Eight. So eight. Can you imagine losing one individual in your small business that’s gone and you now have to go ahead and cover for that individual? What a tremendous sacrifice on your part. And we thank you for that. (applauding) Now, many know the sacrifices because in their businesses, they are Reservists. We had Colonel Mark Stafford out there from Delta Solutions and Strategies. So he knows the life of a Reservist, he’s lived it. And then we have others that are mayors out there, the mayor of West Valley City in Utah, Mayor Ron Bigelow, right, Ron? And then Cracker Barrel families, basically your whole family as I heard last night, for the most part, past and present in the military. So what a great association that we have out there with all these wonderful folks that provide support to us. You know, ESGR almost 50 years now, it’s encouraged, recognized and worked with employers across the country to foster a culture of support where those employers value the employment of their members of the Guard and Reserve. For those of you today, you’re joining a distinct group of individuals in being recognized, because as we said, we had a number of individuals that put in for this award, but we have 15 of you that are outstanding and we’re going to recognize you. Now, I’ve been very, very fortunate in both my military and civilian career with many roles and experiences, and it’s helped me to understand both the perspective of the service member and then of course, as the employer. When I served in the Air Force Reserve, I saw firsthand how airmen deftly balanced their civilian careers, their military service and their family. Now the act of duty, in many cases, has two things to worry about: their military job and their families. On the Reserve and Guard side, we have one more important element of that three legged stool, and that’s you, the employer. And that’s difficult. And as we used to say, you always knew that you had the right balance when you had all of them equally mad at you, right? Because again, that’s when you knew you had the right mix, is when all of them weren’t necessarily real thrilled with what you were doing. And so, and that’s true, I can, personal experience. Members of the Guard and Reserve are a lot different as we said, than it was 18 years ago at 9-11. We’ve been fighting for two decades now. In today’s security environment, we need to leverage our advantage that we have and that’s our people and their skills. And in today’s environment, those skills are extremely necessary. And it’s not necessarily those cyber warriors out there or those other specialties that we have out there. We need everyone out there with those specialties, those school teachers, those engineers, those doctors, those nurses out there. They embody the country. They are representative of each and every one of you out there, and so that’s what’s special about our Guardsmen and Reservists, is that they have a close connection to the community. They are a part of the community. And having these employers here to go ahead and support them is absolutely essential. If we’re going to meet all of those National Defense Strategy objectives that we’ve laid out, you have to have the people and that support network, and all of you have provided that to each and every one of our Guardsmen. Now let me say a little bit about ESGR. They play a key role in helping both employers and service members understand their responsibilities and their relationship. I’ve had good relationships, I’ve had bad relationships with ESGR. And how did that develop? Well, if the member doesn’t necessarily tell their employer that they’re going to be deployed and they pop it on the employer at the last minute, that’s not great. That doesn’t provide you the time that you need to go ahead and find a replacement or to adjust the work schedules. And so in many cases, Joe Scoby out here and many of the other chiefs that are out there, make it an important part of their instructions to their Reservists to make sure that they stay connected to you. Because it’s a two-way street, right? You provide and you sacrifice that talent and give it to us and we need to make sure that we basically provide you the amount of time that you need to go ahead and find a replacement, and-or make adjustments for that particular employee. So ESGR works through those issues for us. We have a number of volunteers, and that’s key. We have 3,750 volunteers across the 50 states, four territories that are out there, that actually work with all of you, the employers, to go ahead and make sure that we have good relationships with all of you so that we don’t mess up this good thing that we have. Because I can tell you that without the support of the employers, this program, this total force that we have, could not survive. And thus, that’s why we want to go ahead and recognize all of you. And I’m going to get off the stage and have my good friend Craig McKinley come up here and help me thank each and every one of you for all the work that you do for your employees and for the Department of Defense. So thank each and every one of you. Thank you. (applauding)
So just so you know, we used to have the solid gold eagle. That was just, what, two years ago? We took that back though because we saw a couple of them on eBay for $14 million. (audience laughing) So I think this is just what kind of a, what is this bronze, is that what it is? Brass? It’s not that heavy either. I made that mistake last year. I thought it was really heavy, it’s not that heavy. It’s heavy for me. All right, let’s get to it. You guys excited? (audience replying unintelligibly) The cool thing about this for me is every year you get motivated. You hear these stories about what these employers are doing, and it’s a funny story. The employers hear the other employers’ stories and they’re thinking to themselves, hey, wait a second, we’re not doing enough. They’re here being recognized for doing a lot and then they’re going, well, we’re not doing enough. So hopefully they’ll get in a little competition. Before you know it, their deployed people will be the CEOs. (audience laughing) They’ll get seven years of paid vacation. Because that’s what CEOs get, isn’t it? Last time… Just a joke. That’s just Friday talking. All right, let’s do it. Bless my soul. All right. Here we go. Well done, I love a heckler. (audience laughing) I would just caution you. No, I’m just kidding. (audience laughing) Come on, man. We’re in the Pentagon. He could have me shot and he goes, it was a self defense. And he’s got one, two, three, he’s got three stars. Everybody would believe it. You go, yeah, the news puke. He said something wrong and he went for his waistband. (audience laughing) Here we go. Let’s do the small business first. Now think about it this way. If you ran a small business and you had somebody deploy, let’s say you have six, maybe 10 people, and somebody, maybe one, maybe two, deploy, you think at that point you’re going to be in trouble. These employers come up with creative ways to figure out a way to take care of the absence, and not just take care of the absence for their own being, but they emotionally plug in to those deployed to help them and their families get through the deployment. So for that reason, these 15 out of the 2,700 were chosen as above and beyond. So let’s start with a small business and the first group we honor today is the small business category. Deployments of a military member can often be felt, as I just did that one. See, I tell you, I go off script and it screws me up. Let’s go to the first one is Callison Tighe & Robinson. They were nominated by Air National Guard Major Ian Duggan. Where are you at, Ian? You can stand up, it’s okay. I’m the guy who’s getting shot. (audience applauding) Founded in 1947, Callison Tighe & Robinson is a full service law firm based in Columbia, South Carolina. Six of the 14 attorneys and staff members are veterans or currently serving in the Guard or Reserves. Six of 14. You must be a really good lawyer that works really long hours, I’m just saying. Callison Tighe & Robinson’s attorneys provide hundreds of pro bono hours to military families each year, and managing partner, Mike Tighe, regularly loans his 1942 Willys Jeep that was used in operations during World War II for family celebrations and parades in Columbia. Accepting on behalf of Callison Tighe & Robinson is Mr. Rick Detwiler. He’s a partner. Rick. (audience applauding) Just so you know, if I mispronounce your name, it’s your fault. Your name is just too hard. Let’s get rid of it. (audience laughing) Accepting responsibility went out the window, what, about two years ago? That was so not of 2017. All right. Next one is Delta Solutions and Strategies LLC, nominated by Marine Corp Reserve Lieutenant Colonel Mark Shuster. Where you at, Mark? (audience applauding) You need to work on your hooah. You guys were really weak at the beginning there. One Marine would fill this room with the noise and we had four or five, I heard, or I thought I did. Anyway, thank you for being here. Thank you for the nomination. Now I know. (audience laughing) See, you could pick on the Air Force and they’re like, whatever. You pick on a Marine, you’re going to get your ass kicked. I mean that’s just… (audience laughing) All right. Yeah, I’m going to take a different route. (audience laughing) Here we go. Delta Solutions and Strategies was nominated by, as we already covered, Marine Shuster. Welcome. You’re a great guy by the way, love Marines, great uniform. (audience laughing) Those ribbons, you polished those up beautifully. Perfect. Bless your heart. (audience laughing) Delta Solutions Strategies is a veteran-owned small business that provides clients in the public and private sectors with comprehensive, professional, organizational and technical consulting services. More than half of Delta’s employees are veterans or currently serving in the Guard and Reserve. Delta provides full pay for 30 days while service members perform military training, professional military education or active duty. For duty exceeding 30 days, service members typically received sizable bonuses on their return. Delta Solutions and Strategies is also a dedicated supporter of military charities in the Colorado Springs community. Accepting on behalf of Delta Solutions and Strategies is owner and president, Mr. Mark Stafford, who is also a colonel in the United States Air Force. (audience applauding) Man, I just can’t pick on anybody anymore. Bless my heart. Here we go. This next one is kind of cool. Has anybody ever been to Kauai in Hawaii? Hey, isn’t it sweet? It’s a teeny little island. You sneeze and you’re already on the other side. It’s wonderful. It’s paradise. I think Oprah had a place there. Major not selling point, but it’s really nice. The Kauai Auto Repair was nominated by Army National Guard First Sergeant Corey Soares. Where you at? Corey? (audience member responding unintelligibly) (audience applauding) You ready? All right. Kauai Auto Repair provides auto repair services for the island of Kauai, all 15 cars. Despite… (audience laughing) I’m joking! I’m joking. They went green. They only have two. Despite a high volume of work and a small team, owner, is it Angel or Angel? Angel. Which is appropriate given what you’ve done. Angel Santiago and he has been very supportive of his employees’ military service. During First Sergeant Soares’ deployment, he checked in on the family, he kept in touch with Soares, and that spirit of support extends beyond his employees. When the local Guard unit responding to flooding in North Kauai needed emergency vehicle repairs, Mr. Santiago opened his shop to help repair the vehicles free of charge, directly contributing to the unit’s relief efforts and mission success. Accepting on behalf of Kauai Auto Repair is its owner, get really loud for him please, Angel Santiago. (audience applauding and cheering) Went there on my honeymoon. Ordered swordfish. It’s like that big for $20 bucks. I had no money. It became the joke with my wife. It was the swordfish McNugget. It was awesome. (audience laughing) But if you need your car fixed, I know a guy. All right. Levi, is that right? Levi Rodgers? Did I say that right? Simple yes or now. Levi, just like the jeans? Yep, okay. All right, you ready?
I’m ready to do it.
You’re not gonna cry, are you? I mean, it’s good? Okay. All right. Did you have a fun night last night. Did you have a good time at the Army and Navy Club? He did. You had a good time last night? Okay. All right. Good. Just checking. What’s so funny? What am I missing? Levi Rodgers Real Estate Group, RE/MAX Military City, nominated by Army National Guard Sergeant Richard Pacheco. Where are you at, Richard? There you go. (audience applauding) The Levi Rodgers Group, RE/MAX Military City is a veteran-focused residential real estate sales group. A strong recognition of military service is ingrained in the group’s culture. In addition to receiving full pay and benefits while activated, Sergeant Pacheco was recognized on social media, in newsletters, at quarterly and annual meetings. The Levi Rodgers Real Estate Group, RE/MAX Military City hires and promotes a workforce of 90% Guard, Reserve members and veterans and offers a mentorship program for wounded service members transitioning into real estate. Accepting on behalf of the Levi Rodgers Real Estate Group, RE/MAX Military City, it’s a long title, you know, is the president and owner, Mr. Levi Rodgers. (audience applauding) Just seemed like a fun guy, didn’t he? Yeah. All right. Next group, The Steel Network. Pretty straightforward. Looks good on a card. Boom, Steel Network. Come on up. Was nominated by Army Reserve Captain Joshua Howes. Where you at, Joshua? There you go. (audience applauding) Joshua, you can smile. You’re among friends. It’s all good. This Steel Network is a veteran-owned manufacturer of light-gauge cold-form steel studs and connectors with locations in North Carolina, Texas and Nevada. The steel locations, or The Steel Network has consistently gone above and beyond to support its Guard and Reserve employees and the veteran community. During Captain Howes’ deployment, the company provided pay and benefits, checked in on the family, even paid for a house cleaning service for his wife and newborn baby. In the community, that goes a long way, man. You make momma happy, the world is all good, right? In the community, The Steel Network supports veteran-focused organizations, including the Travis Manion Foundation and the Triangle Veterans Network, and offers free hyperbaric oxygen therapy to local veterans. Accepting on behalf of The Steel Network is the chief executive officer, Mr. Edward di Girolamo. Say it for me.
di Girolamo.
Just like that, di Girolamo. There you go. (audience applauding) We kid because we love. All right, now we’re switching over to large business. Those are the small businesses, now the large businesses. And sometimes the large business gets lost that you think that they would be able to absorb the loss. Sometimes they can’t, you know, and they’ve got to figure out things too, because these are strategically placed employees. So they come up with some creative ways and sometimes some very, really generous ways of helping out those who are sent up, sent overseas. So in the larger organization, Guardsman and Reserves, they make up a small percentage of the workforce. But even so, the large employees we recognize today have found innovative ways to individually support their service members, employees, and highlight their contributions. Let’s start here with Archer Daniels Midland, nominated by Army Reserve Major Andrew Marchese. I say that right? (audience applauding) You gave me the nod like, yeah, good enough for ed government work, but yeah. Is it Marchese?
[Andrew] Marchese, sir.
I wasn’t even close. It’s okay, you’re not gonna hurt my feeling. My one feeling, you won’t hurt it, it’s all good. All right, here we go. On the world’s largest agricultural processors and food ingredient providers, Archer Daniels Midland supports service members and their families at every level of the organization. In addition to supporting local military charities with funding and volunteers, company executives personally call and thank service members, check in on their families while they’re deployed. Archer Daniels Midland also regularly sends large care packages to the units of employees who are deployed and other units that may not receive similar support. Recently, the company hired a wounded warrior and Warrior Games athlete who is dedicating recruiter for both veterans and individuals with disabilities. Accepting on behalf of Archer Daniels Midland is Ms. Veronica Braker, correct? Braker? All right. Senior vice president of global operations. Let’s hear it for her. (audience applauding) And that BAE, by the way, complimented her outfit. Did you see that? This kind of the same color tones. That’s how you do it. You just know what you’re winning and dress accordingly. (audience laughing) Is it five o’clock yet? Barclays is our next one for big corporation. Come on out. Nominated by Army National Guard Lieutenant Colonel Bryon Linnehan. Where’s Bryon? (audience applauding) Barclays is the international financial service provider engaged in personal banking, credit and services, corporate investment banking with wealth management. They deal with money. Prior to one of Lieutenant Colonel Linnehan’s deployments, Barclays revised its human resources policy to ensure that their Guard and Reserve employees received differential pay while they are activated up to five years. In addition, no kidding, right. In addition, while Lieutenant Linnehan was deployed, Barclays made sure that his wife and young children were included in the company’s Family Day and his colleagues purchased a basketball hoop and assembled it at his house for his kids. Those things go a long way, don’t they? Accepting on behalf of Barclays is Mr. Tim Heartsill. He’s the managing director and global head of portfolio management. Let’s hear for him. (audience applauding) Isn’t it nice to see the kind of things that people are doing? Those people on the news are the worst, man. They always focus on the worst 1% humanity has to offer, and this is 99% of what’s out there. We miss it. No, we really don’t. If you watch Channel 7, then you would know that doesn’t happen. (audience laughing) What am I surrounded by a bunch of sheeple here? Come on now. Channel 7, unique content. We go after it. And everybody has to follow me on Twitter by before the day’s out so my bosses are happy about that. You guys don’t mind doing that, do you? A bunch of Twitter followers? @EliasABC7. Bless my heart, yeah, thanks. This is the guy down here wearing a suit in the VIP area. That means he’s like a spook or he’s the NSA or something. I like, I disappear like in 20 minutes. It’s just like, well, he used to do news. All right, here we go. Chevron Corporation. You’ve all filled up at Chevron, yes? All right, good. Because here’s why. They were nominated by Coast Guard. Coast Guard, where’s my Coast Guard guys? Wee ha! Yee ha! There we go. (audience applauding) That is Reserve Master Chief Petty Officer Lonnie Evans. Do you like my idea for the Coasties? Yee ha! There you go. All right, good. We ride submarines. Alright, thank you, sir. Chevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation engaged in every aspect of power generation and the oil, natural gas and geothermal energy industries. Chevron’s company policies provide managers and leaders guidance to support Guard and Reserve employees and they recognize those who serve at all levels of the organization. Chevron has a robust veterans’ network that provides mentorship and career growth for employees who are serving and offers differential pay during all periods of military service. Accepting on behalf of Chevron is Ms. Rhonda Morris, vice president and chief human resource officer. (audience applauding) Every time you see a resource officer come in, you’re always like, oh God, here we go. This was a good day. This was a good time to see one, yeah. She raced to this stage and here’s why. It’s Cracker Barrel y’all. (audience laughing) Who doesn’t love Cracker Barrel? All right. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store was nominated by Air National Guard Master Sergeant Rodger Reed. We you at Rodger? (audience applauding) Just, I have to disclose that when I go to the War College, this is how I start my day, at Cracker Barrel. Our hotel offers a breakfast. Are you serious? When there’s a Cracker Barrel, like a block and a half away? Have you ever had their grits? I hate grits. I love their grits. (audience laughing) Fried chicken is good, too. Yes indeed, I agree. All right, here we go. And plus that store’s kind of cool. They got stuff that you haven’t seen in 20 years and you get the gum and you walk out of there with $20 worth of stuff you didn’t need or want and then you feel pretty lucky you got it. You’re like, this is awesome. It’ll come in handy somewhere. (audience laughing) Bless my heart. Here we go. Cracker Barrel was established in 1969. Cracker Barrel and its affiliate operate to 667 stores. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, they have locations in 45 states, should be all 50 states. You should open one by that shop in Hawaii. That’d be awesome. (audience laughing) Cracker Barrel is a tremendous support for the Guard and Reserve, is evident from the benefits it offers employees which include differential pay for up to three months. Their support extends beyond their own employees. Before the Tennessee National Guard’s 278 Armored Cavalry Regiment deployed to Poland, Cracker Barrel provided breakfast, lunch, and dinner to every soldier for four days. Four thousand meals. (audience applauding) They did that in eight different locations. Company executives and colleagues were extremely supportive of Master Sergeant Reed and his family during his deployment, checking in and providing them gift cards while he was away. Accepting on behalf of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store is Ms. Sandy Cochran. She is the president and CEO of Cracker Barrel. Give it up to Cracker Barrel. (audience applauding) She like, looked at me and goes, I got to get off the stage. Who doesn’t love Cracker Barrel? All right. Direct Supply. I don’t even have to say it, they just come right out of it like boom, shoot out of there. Nominated by Air Force Reserve Lieutenant Colonel Jason Miller, this is Direct Supply. Where you at, Jason? (audience applauding) Air Force Reserve Lieutenant Colonel. Nice to have you here. Direct Supply is an employee-owned company and is the nation’s leading provider of equipment, e-commerce and service solutions for senior living. The company supportive Guard and Reserve military obligations include policies like full pay for short periods of active duty and differential pay for service exceeding 30 days. The company also supports the service members and families with home visits, recognition in company newsletters, and care packages for employees who are deployed. From its veterans’ affinity group to its wall of champions, Direct Supply recognizes and celebrates military service and sacrifice both internally and in the community with charitable giving. Accepting on behalf of Direct Supply is Ms. Pamela Kane, vice president of products and supply chain. (audience applauding) Next one is Eversource Energy, nominated by Air Force Reserve Senior Master Sergeant William Gelinas. Where you at, William? (audience applauding) I think ESGR did this on purpose, like everybody’s Air Force now. It’s like that’s why I’ve stopped, I don’t make fun of the Air Force because that would be wrong. That would be bad. Thank you very much for making that nomination. Direct Supply is an employee-owned company. It is the nation’s leading provider of equipment. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. That was a senior moment. Forget that ever happened.
[Man] Right up there.
Thank you. (audience laughing) You know what, I follow direction from time to time. I’m coachable. Bless my heart. Here we go. Eversource. Thank you for that, sir. That was very helpful. That’s a teleprompter, I think. I know. I only make a living reading the box with words, but there you go. (audience laughing) My producers hate my guts because I often don’t refer to their words in that box and they’re always asking me why the hell do I spend all day putting words in there if you’re not going to use them? Where’s the fun in that? I just want to know. Eversource Energy was nominated by Air Force Reserve Senior Master Sergeant William Gelinas. We’ve covered that, yes. Thank you very much. Did we? Yeah? We did. Just checking. Making sure that you guys are paying attention. Here we go. Eversource is a, should we do this in the Boston accent? Because I came from Boston eight years, I was eight years in Boston. You want to do that, Boston? Boston, there you go. Eversource is New England’s, they literally change every name of their cities just to screw you up. If you read Gloucester in England, you’re correct. If you go to New England and say Gloucester, they go, you’re an idiot. It’s Gloucester. That’s how they do it. Eversource is New England’s largest energy supplier serving approximately four million electricity, natural gas and water customers in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire. The company employs more than 600 veterans and Guard Reserve members. They have demonstrated outstanding support for them during deployments. Their support includes letter writing campaigns, laptop donations for junior enlisted personnel, care packages and family support. Eversource helps ensure a seamless transition back into the company for Guard and Reserve employees through extensive training. Externally, Eversource showcases the Guard and Reserve employees in a special section of the corporate website. In other words, they’re wicked good. Accepting on behalf of Eversource Energy is Mr. James Judge, chairman, president and chief executive officer. (audience applauding) We’re going to go on with that one, right? (laughing) LG&E and KU Energy was nominated by Army National Guard Captain Michael McFadden. Where you at, Michael? (audience applauding) Founded in 1838 as Louisville Gas and Water, LG&E and KU provides more than 1.3 million customers with electric and natural gas services in 77 Kentucky counties and 16 counties in Virginia. LG&E and KU’s armed forces energy professional group mentors Guard and Reserve employees in setting and achieving career goals. In addition, human resource managers and recruiters are required to attend military one-on-one training to fully understand and support Guard and Reserve employee needs. The company hosts service member recognition events, supports military families and care packages and thank you cards while employees are away for training or deployment. Accepting on behalf of LG&E and KU Energy is vice president of human resources, Mr. Greg Meiman. (audience applauding) Meiman or Meiman? Yay, I got it right. I could’ve screwed that up. It was one of those names they had a phonetics. Just forget it. For the public sector now, presentation. How you doing? Good. All right, this year’s two public sector honorees uphold the law and provide critical public safety. (person speaking unintelligibly) I was just making sure y’all were paying attention. That was me testing you. Hold on a second. Here we go. I have it right here. I apologize, my bad. Bless my heart. Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company was nominated by Army Reserve Major Adam Lacks. Where you at, Adam? (audience applauding) What was that guttural noise? What was that? What branch are we talking about now? What’s happening out there? All right, Nationwide is one of the largest diversified insurance and financial service organizations in the United States. Prior to working for Nationwide, Major Lacks received multiple care packages from the company during three separate deployments. This gesture made such a strong impression that he immediately applied for a position at Nationwide after he returned. The company has a variety of programs for veterans and Guard and Reserve members, including military associate resource group, which advises management and senior leaders on veteran and military related issues. The company is committed to military and veteran recruitment and hired 1,500 veterans and Reservists over a five year period. In addition, no kidding. (audience applauding) In addition, Nationwide supports local military and veteran charities with funding and volunteer engagement. Accepting on behalf of Nationwide is Ms. Gale King, executive vice president and chief administrative officer. (audience applauding) Man, I feel so much, you know what she just said to me? Nationwide’s on my side. (audience laughing) So I’m going to need them because I got a pissed off Marine and there’s some Air Force boys in here that are just not taking kindly to my jokes. I need to find that secret entrance out of the Pentagon, or is it the Hexagon? What are we going to do here? All right. Congratulations to the outstanding large employers who are doing so much for the National Guard and Reserve and veteran employees. Thank you for your understanding. Thank you for your critical work in these times, especially when you have service members that deploy. That is, says a lot about you and your companies. A big round of applause to you. (audience applauding) Now, this year’s two public sector honorees uphold the law and provide critical public safety and municipal services and they are the epitome of public servants. Here’s the first one, the Houston Police Department. Let’s hear it for the Houston Police Department. (audience applauding and cheering) They were nominated by Army National Guard Colonel Michael Liesmann. Where you at, Michael? (audience applauding) Liesmann or Liesmann? Liesmann? Thank you, sir. Appreciate that. All right. The Houston Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency serving the city of Houston and several of its surrounding areas. For Guard and Reserve employees, the department provides flexible scheduling for military leave, full pay for certain periods of service and all benefits, period. They also employ a dedicated human resource technician to ensure smooth transitions from service members as they leave for military service and as they return to their positions at work. It’s a big deal. The department shows strong commitment for its employees who serve, staying in contact while they are away, also sending care packages out to them and then checking in on their families. Accepting on behalf of the Houston Police Department is chief of police, Arturo Acevedo. (audience applauding) All right, West Valley City, nominated by Air Force Reserve Technical Sergeant Robert Brinton. Where you at, Robert? (audience applauding) All right, West Valley City is the second largest city in Utah. It strives to support Guard and Reserve employees at every level of the organization, and publicly. The West Valley City provides full pay and benefits for nearly three weeks per year for Guard and Reserve employees, differential pay for all benefits for the entire period of military service regardless of duration. No kidding. Wow. The city recognizes the service and sacrifice of their military employees on their honor wall at city hall, at annual employee training events, holiday parties and on Veterans Day. West Valley City also supports service members by organizing city-sponsored care package projects. Accepting on behalf of West Valley City is the city’s mayor, Mayor Ron Bigelow. (audience applauding) Thank you for, he said he’s an Air Force veteran. (audience laughing) Have I told you all how much I admire, love and respect the Air Force? Have I made that clear today? Never fails. Here we go. I want to bring now, thank you Mr. Stewart and Mr. McKinley. Thank you both very much. I think you got to stay here though, because ladies and gentlemen, please join me in a final round of applause. I need you to get loud. It’s Friday, they did great work. Let’s give them a big round of applause, please. (audience applauding) Let me just, did you want to take pictures now or are we doing that after? After, okay. You guys are clear for now. We’re going to bring you back up in a little bit. All right, now we’re very happy to welcome to the stage the magnificent ensemble of some of the finest musicians in the country. Please help me in welcoming the president’s own Marine String Quartet. (audience applauding) If you’re thinking these are inexpensive chairs, they’re not. They’re ergonomically controlled chairs that help the musicians perform better, just so you know.
Thank you all for having us today. (audience laughing) (audience applauding) We’re gonna just play a couple of selections. We’re going to start with the “Begin the Beguine” by Cole Porter. (string music) (audience applauding) Now we’ll play a movement from Mozart, “Divertimento.” (string music) (audience applauding) All right, we’d like to play one more selection for you. It’s going to be a tango by Carlos Gardel, “Por una Cabeza.” (string music) (audience applauding)
Well you knew they had to be Marines because they absolutely kicked butt, didn’t they? (audience laughing) Yes they did. This is the part, alas, where I have to say ado. A couple of things we need to do. I need Mr. McKinley and Mr. Stewart, please come back up here because we’re gonna take pictures of all 15 of the honorees, if you’d come up on stage after we move these ergonomically correct chairs. It’s been a pleasure. From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank everybody who serves for all the sacrifices you’ve made over the years, for what you do, to the employers who have made a huge difference. I’ve lived by these words my whole life, pretty much. My old man, he made the Great Santini look like a pussy cat. You know, he was tough. He still is. He’s 88 years old and I still wouldn’t want to take him on. But when we were growing up as boys, there’s three of us, and he always would say to us, listen, in this life, you can do anything you want. If you want to go out there and make money, go ahead, make money. If you want to make friends, make a bunch of friends. But unless you make a difference in someone else’s life, then you really haven’t lived. That’s a good life lived, he would say, is making a difference in someone else’s life. For all the employers that are here that have made a difference, who have consciously taken a time to think about what you’re going to do to help somebody else, that’s helping all of us. I spelled out earlier what I thought courage was and that is for the people who stand on the front lines to fight against evil. I would say just as much, you are courageous as well in the stand you take in defending them as well, here at home. They need that, and for the 15 that are being honored today, hats off and a huge congratulations. So thank you all. (audience applauding) Come on up on stage. Come on up. For everybody else, repeat after me. I will religiously watch Channel 7 News at 5, 6 and 11 o’clock. Have a great day guys. Thanks very much. (audience applauding) (thunder crashing) (alert buzzing)
[Reporter] Hurricane Sandy heading north, the big story.
Hurricane Sandy.
[Reporter] Hurricane Sandy, the worst case scenario.
People with no water, there ain’t no food. (wind rushing)
The size of the storm was obviously tremendous.
I got the notice that the Joint Operations Center was being mobilized and arrived to a buzz of activity. This is the JOC, the Joint Operations Center. This is where we coordinate disaster response. We were coordinating hundreds of service members. It was pretty intense. We were working 20-hour days for over a month. You don’t really appreciate the impact until you’re in the effected community. It makes you feel like this is what I’ve trained for, and I think that’s where the National Guard plays a really important role to step up and provide these unique capabilities. I’m Lieutenant Colonel Bryon Linnehan and I work for Barclays. (rock music) The National Guard has a dual role. You respond to domestic emergencies and yet, we’re always training to be ready to deploy overseas. Barclays has always stepped up and that’s why I nominated them for this award. (piano music) I’m very grateful that Barclays has supported my continued service. It helps me be a better employee as well as a better soldier. Bryon Linnehan. I feel very proud at the end of the day that I can serve. Hey.
Hi Bryon.
How are you?
Good, how are you?
So I might be coming down on active duty.
ESGR’s important because they serve as that interface to help us to make sure that we’re fulfilling our obligation.
My best is I can give ESGR a call and ask them. And I’ll tell you that calling and talking to an ombudsman has always been really, really helpful. It’s been a great partnership for us.
It’s pretty remarkable that people are balancing basically two careers. It’s just awesome to be able to help support that.
Veterans have a proven track record of success. So whether you’re talking about a military spouse or you’re talking about a veteran or you’re talking about someone in the Guard or Reserve, companies recognize that veterans are a great hire.
Winning the Freedom Award is incredibly important and we feel a great sense of pride in having been lucky enough to receive it. It is a very clear signal to the most senior management of the firm that Barclays is doing the right thing.
[Man] For 48 years, ESGR has fostered healthy relationships between employers and their employees that serve in the Guard and Reserve. From multinational corporations to small businesses, ESGR partners with employers to ensure that their Guard and Reserve employees can both train and deploy for their unique dual roles serving both their local community and the nation.
As important as the family is and the service member’s readiness is to the Guard, so too is the relationship with our employers.
[Man] ESGR knows that the support of the nation’s employers is critical and that the employers honored this year continue to go above and beyond to make sure that their service members and their families are supported before, during, and after military duties at home and abroad. The 2019 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award honors the patriotism and sacrifice of this year’s deserving employers.
The company and its leadership have been nothing but very supportive and that is one of the many reasons why I nominated ADM. Thank you, ADM.
My service in the National Guard is not a burden to Callison Tighe, but an opportunity. Thank you, Callison, Tighe and Robinson.
Chevron recognizes military experience as an element in a diverse workforce. Thank you, Chevron.
In every instance when called to serve, Cracker Barrel and its employees have always been there for me and my family. Thank you, Cracker Barrel.
There’s simply no way that I’d be able to do my job or take care of my family without the support of my employer. Thank you, Delta Solutions and Strategies.
They treat my family like their own. They know what it means to serve others and they help me be my best every single day. Thank you, Direct Supply.
Eversource’s culture towards the military and veterans is absolutely contagious. The outstanding support they provide military members and veterans resonates with all of its employees. Thanks, Eversource.
The Houston Police Department is absolutely committed to my service day in and day out in the Texas Army National Guard. Thanks, Houston Police Department.
If I had to describe my employer in one word, it would be committed. They show a real commitment to my success both in and out of uniform. Thank you, Kauai Auto Repair.
Recently when I deployed, they made sure my family was well taken care of so that I had one less worry while overseas. Thank you, Levi Rodgers Real Estate Group, RE/MAX Military City.
LG&E and KU Energy recognizes and values the skill sets that military service members possess and seeks to hire those individuals for positions throughout the company. Thank you, LG&E and KU Energy.
If I had to describe my employer in one word, it’d be appreciative. Nationwide leaders and fellow associates appreciate my individual service and commitment to our country. Thank you Nationwide.
If I had to describe my employer in one word, it would be awesome. When I took command the first time, I talked to Ed, the CEO of The Steel Network, and told him that this would be an additional requirement on my attention and time, and the only question he asked me is, what do you need from me to be more successful?
I nominated my employer because they have earned the right to be recognized for their continued dedication, support, and flexibility they have not only provided me, but also the other members of the Armed Services who work for the organization. Thank you, West Valley City.
Barclays has provided world-class support to me and my colleagues every day that I’ve been here for the past four years. I know they’re incredibly deserving of the Freedom Award and I’m very proud to see them receive it.
[Man] To all the patriotic employers who do so much to support their employees who are members of the Guard and Reserve, thank you.