HARRISBURG, Pa. – Pennsylvania Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), an office of the Department of Defense, announced that D&H Distributing recently received a Patriot Award in recognition of extraordinary support of employees serving in the Guard and Reserve.  

The Patriot Award reflects the efforts made to support citizen warriors through a wide range of measures including flexible schedules, time off prior to and after deployment, caring for families, and granting leaves of absence if needed.

Pennsylvania ESGR is particularly proud to present D&H Distributing with the Patriot Award for their strong support of their employees serving in our nation’s Reserve forces.

D&H Distributing’s Hewlett Packard, Inc. (HPI) Business Account Manager Zach Hoover and VP Systems Business Unit Greg King were nominated for the Patriot Award by Sgt. Bryan Matthew Frankford who is a member of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.  In his Patriot Award nomination, Franklin stated, “Everyone at D&H Distributing has been very supportive, and understanding, of my service.”

Presenting the award on behalf of ESGR was Jim Astor, Pennsylvania South Central Area Chair.  Astor commented: “It’s critical and an honor to recognize and pay tribute to those employers that hire and support our Guard and Reserve forces.  It would be difficult for those in the uniformed services to perform their mission without employer support.” 

Astor added: “Today’s members of the Guard and Reserves are highly trained and skilled; they bring integrity, a global perspective and, proven leadership to the civilian workforce.”

ESGR, a Department of Defense office, seeks to foster a culture in which all employers support and value the employment and military service of members of the National Guard and Reserve in the United States. ESGR facilitates and promotes a cooperative culture of employer support for National Guard and Reserve service by developing and advocating mutually beneficial initiatives, recognizing outstanding employer support, increasing awareness of applicable laws and policies, resolving potential conflicts between employers and their service members, and acting as the employers’ principal advocate within DoD. Paramount to ESGR's mission is encouraging employment of Guardsmen and Reservists who bring integrity, global perspective and proven leadership to the civilian workforce. 

For more information about ESGR Outreach Programs, or ESGR volunteer opportunities, please call 1-800-336-4590 or visit www.ESGR.mil.