ANNVILLE, Pa. – Pennsylvania Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), an office of the Department of Defense, announced Lifetime Achievement Award recipients during its annual All–Ranks conference held at Fort Indiantown Gap on April 13.

ESGR State Chair Marty Kuhar hosted the conference that was attended by 24 volunteer representatives from the state’s eight designated areas. He took this opportunity to recognizes the state’s outstanding volunteers and presented them with longevity pins and awards.

Employer Outreach Representative Gregory Crooks of Saxton, Pennsylvania received the Department of Defense ESGR Lifetime Achievement Award. Crooks joined ESGR in 2003 as a volunteer in the state’s Mountain Area which encompasses the Counties of Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon, and Somerset.

The Lifetime Achievement Award is given to committee members in recognition of a significant achievement in promoting ESGR objectives over a significant amount of time. Recipients must serve as a Committee member for a minimum of 20 consecutive years.

Upon presenting Crooks with the award, Kuhar said: “Twenty years of exceptional support to the members of the National Guard and Reserves and their Employers is both commendable and an excellent model to be emulated. On behalf of Pennsylvania ESGR, thank you for all that you have done for this state and the nation.”

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/PA

Photo: Pennsylvania ESGR State Chair Kuhar and Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Crooks