MOORHEAD, Minn. – Minnesota National Guard Capt. Evan Thomas presented the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Above and Beyond Award to Ames Orthodontics March 27. The award was presented at the Swing Barrel Brewing establishment in recognition of Dr. Matthew Ames and Dr. Dan Peterson outstanding support of its military employees’ service to the Minnesota National Guard and Reserves.
Dr. Matthew Ames and Dr. Dan Peterson, throughout Capt. Thomas’ last six years, have done an excellent job keeping up with his military obligations, his mobilizations, Active-Duty Operational Support Orders, Federal Emergency Management Agency Orders, Army Schools, and his Annual Training events. They have ensured the Service Member was kept up to date with changes. They have been supportive by granting him time off, before and after deployments, in preparation for home concerns and mission preparation. They continually kept in contact with his immediate family by checking up to see if they needed any help while on deployments. They have extended benefits to him while he was on orders. Dr. Matthew Ames and Dr. Dan Peterson donated $8,500 worth of orthodontic treatment when Captain Thomas mentioned another Service Member was injured during their Annual Training. Captain Evan Thomas has stated, “they are very supportive of my military obligations and how wonderful it is to be employed by employers who support me and the military.”
This award is given in limited numbers by State Committees to employers who have had at least one of their supervisors/managers recognized with a Patriot Award and who have signed an ESGR Statement of Support. This award will be given to only 30 businesses this year, from hundreds of Patriot Award nominations received in Minnesota, that have honored their employees’ service in the United States military by providing assistance or benefits that go beyond the minimum required by the Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act (USERRA).
ESGR is a Department of Defense office that develops and promotes supportive work environments for service members in the National Guard and Reserve through outreach, recognition, and educational opportunities that increase awareness of applicable laws. ESGR also provides assistance in resolving conflicts between Service Members and their employers. This year, ESGR celebrates over 51 years of excellence in support of the Reserve Components and their civilian employers. For more information about ESGR outreach programs or volunteer opportunities, call (800) 336-4590 or visit www.ESGR.mil.
Photo left to right: Capt. Daniel Erickson HQ 2/136 IN (CAB) Battalion Training Officer, Dr. Dan Peterson, Dr. Matthew Ames, Lois Robinson ESGR Region 1 Chair, and Captain Evan Thomas. (Photo courtesy of Lois Robinson ESGR Region 1 Chair, Master Sgt. retired)