Evergreen International Aviation of McMinnville has just been named one of three semi-finalists from Oregon for the 2009 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award.

The award is the U.S. Government’s highest recognition given to employers for exceptional support of employees serving in the Guard and Reserve.

The award is significant because only members of the National Guard and Reserve or their family members are eligible to nominate employers for the award. The other Oregon semi-finalists are the Port of Portland and Chris Bunch of NTP Distribution Inc.

They are among 131 semi-finalists across the nation, selected from more than 3,200 nominations submitted by National Guard and Reserve members or their families for outstanding employer support. From this field, a national review board will select 35 finalists.

A national selection board consisting of senior defense officials and business leaders will then select the award’s 15 recipients.

The Department of Defense will announce the 2009 finalists in June and the award recipients in July. The awards will be presented on Sept. 17 in the Ronald Reagan Building and International Center in Washington, D.C.

Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve is a Department of Defense agency established in 1972. It seeks to promote a culture in which all American employers support and value the military service of their employees.

ESGR recognizes outstanding support, increases awareness of the law, and resolves conflicts through informal mediation. More information is available at www.esgr.mil. 

The Freedom Award is a Secretary of Defense award instituted in 1996 under the auspices of the ESGR. Previous recipients include American Express, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Sears, Home Depot, the State of Tennessee and the Winner School District of South Dakota.  For more information, visit www.FreedomAward.mil.