Ford Receives Prestigious Department of Defense Award

From Ford.com:

Ford Motor Company is being honored with the 2011 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award. Sponsored by the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), the Freedom Award is the highest honor bestowed upon America's employers who provide exceptional support to their employees serving in the National Guard and Reserve.

Ford is one of 15 companies nationwide to be selected for this prestigious award. More than 4,000 nominations were submitted this year.

“We are proud of our employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve and it is our privilege to support them,” said Mike Bannister, Ford executive vice president, chairman and CEO of Ford Motor Credit Company, and executive champion of the Ford Veterans Network Group. “We thank ESGR and the Department of Defense for this recognition. We appreciate the honor, and we deeply appreciate all the men and women involved in military service.”

The Freedom Award, now in its 16th year, is the highest in a series of employer recognition awards given by the Department of Defense. “To stand out among the many thousands of employers who firmly support our Citizen Warriors is a testament to the remarkable efforts of these 15 recipients,” said Dennis McCarthy, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs. "On behalf of the Department of Defense, I congratulate the 2011 honorees and thank them for serving as outstanding partners in our nation's defense.”

Ford received a total of six nominations. One nomination was submitted by Todd Brooks, an employee currently serving in the Navy Reserve. “Ford makes service to our country much easier. From senior leadership all they way down the ladder, they understand the necessity of the citizen soldier and the difficulties their loved ones face as a result of their commitment,” said Brooks, an engineering supervisor, Body, Chassis & Steering Test Labs. “Ford really gets it. Truly it is One Team and for that we are ever so grateful.”

The Freedom Award recognizes employers for the formal and informal initiatives they put in place for Guard and Reserve employees and their families. For example, Ford currently offers differential pay for its employees on active duty. In the U.S. there are approximately 700 Reservists and Guardsmen employed by the company along with more than 7,000 veterans. Ford currently has nearly 30 employees actively serving in the military

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