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Immediate Release

Deputy Secretary of Defense Shanahan to Present Employer Support Freedom Award

Deputy Secretary of Defense Pat Shanahan will present the 2017 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award to 15 companies at a ceremony in the Pentagon Auditorium (BH650) Aug. 25 at 10:00 a.m. EDT. The Freedom Award is the highest honor that the Department of Defense gives to employers, and is awarded to employers who demonstrate exceptional support for their National Guard and Reserve employees.   
 
The 15 recipients of this year’s Freedom Award were selected from more than 3,000 nominations received from Guard and Reserve service members from across the country.  The 15 recipients are: 
 
-- Accordia Urgent Healthcare & Family Practice, Vidalia, Georgia;
-- Boston Scientific Corporation, Boston, Massachusetts;
-- Cargill, Wayzata, Minnesota;
-- Comcast, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
-- CSI Aviation, Albuquerque, New Mexico;
-- Hensel Phelps, Greely, Colorado;
-- Howard County Fire and Rescue, Columbia, Maryland;
-- Indianapolis Fire Department, Indianapolis, Indiana;
-- Johnson & Johnson, New Brunswick, New Jersey;
-- Mesa Natural Gas Solutions, Casper, Wyoming;
-- 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, Centennial, Colorado;
-- Renown Health, Reno, Nevada;
-- Salt River Project, Tempe, Arizona;
-- Andeavor (formerly Tesoro), San Antonio, Texas;
-- Zapata, Charlotte, North Carolina
 
More information about the Freedom Award and this year’s recipients is available at: www.freedomaward.mil.
 
Journalists who do not regularly cover the Pentagon should RSVP by 1 p.m. EDT, Thursday, Aug. 24, by contacting Defense Press Operations at 703-697-5131.  Foreign journalists without a Pentagon building pass must plan on being escorted from the River Entrance Pedestrian Bridge only, or, if arriving at the Pentagon Metro Entrance Facility, must contact 703-697-5131 a minimum of one hour prior to your arrival. Please arrive no later than 1 hour before the briefing if coming by Metro. U.S. journalists without a Pentagon building pass will be picked up at the River Entrance Pedestrian Bridge or the Pentagon Metro Visitors Entrance only. If arriving by Metro, please contact 703-697-5131 a minimum of one hour prior to your arrival, and plan to arrive no later than 45 minutes before the event; have proof of affiliation and photo identification. Please call 703-697-5131 for escort into the building. The briefing will also be streamed live on www.defense.gov.