Military deployment can be a complex and stressful process for soldiers and their families. But for members of the National Guard and Reserve, the process is complicated even further by the nature of how they're used by the military. These volunteer military members often have to take time away from their jobs to serve. The Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve is a Department of Defense agency that helps ease their transitions into and out of their service by working as a liaison with employers. The ESGR annually recognizes businesses making the deployment and re-entry process especially painless with a special citation known as the Freedom Award, and is now taking nominations for its 2012 prize. Mick Allen, state chairman of the Kansas ESGR, talked with KPR's Laura Lorson about the Freedom Award, and about some of the special employment challenges faced by Guard and Reserve members.
Mick Allen is the Kansas state chairman of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. He spoke with KPR's Laura Lorson. For more information on how to nominate an employer for the Freedom Award, visit FreedomAward.mil. For more information on how to contact the ESGR for assistance, visit ESGR.mil.