C.W. Driver Accepts Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award

IRVINE, Calif. — C.W. Driver was recently awarded the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, in honor of its commitment to supporting National Guard and Reserve employees. C.W. Driver accepted this award at the 18th annual Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award ceremony on Sept.26 in Washington, D.C.

It was a great honor to attend this ceremony and join the United States Department of Defense in honoring employers throughout the nation who support our service men and women,” said Dana Roberts, president and CEO of C.W. Driver. “We are proud to have these dedicated service members as part of our team and we will continue our efforts in supporting them in all they do for our country.”

The award ceremony was hosted at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C. The Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve   formally recognized 15 employers that have been named recipients of this year’s Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award. Previous award recipients and Department of Defense leadership were in attendance, in addition to trade associations and civilian government leaders.

“This week, we honor members of the National Guard and Reserve who carry that legacy forward,” said President Barack Obama. “We thank the employers who support them; and we reaffirm our promise to provide our troops, our veterans and our military families with the opportunities they have earned.”

The Freedom Award is the Department of Defense’s highest honor for employer support of National Guard and Reserve employees. The 2013 award recipients represent large and small businesses, as well as public sector agencies. They have distinguished themselves from a field of nearly 2,900 nominations submitted by Reserve Component Service members. These employers have gone above and beyond their legal obligations to military employees, offering formal and informal initiatives that ensure service members and their families are taken care of throughout all types of military service. The recipients” measures of support included creating special hiring programs, providing personal support to families such as home maintenance, and continuing full benefits, salary and additional paid leave options during deployment.