ERIE, Pa. – Pennsylvania Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), an office of the Department of Defense, announced that Erie County Department of Public Safety Department recently received a Patriot Award in recognition of extraordinary support of employees serving in the Guard and Reserve.
Pennsylvania ESGR is particularly proud to present employers with a Patriot Award for their strong support of their employees serving in our nation’s Reserve forces.
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.
Supervisor John Durlin was nominated for the Patriot Award by Warrant Officer Greg Musolff of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard’s Company D, 876th Brigade Engineering Battalion located in Wattsburg.
In nominating Durlin, Musolff stated: “I am the only employee that is currently serving with the National Guard. John has always made me feel welcome. He made a point that my military service and supervisor experiences would be a great fit in the department. He always ensures that my time off is granted and has worked for me when I was away for training. He has taken it upon himself to ensure that all policies and procedures with regards to military leave are followed, and I always feel like he has my best interest at heart. I've never felt like a burden, which is a great credit to him, the administration, and the Erie County Government.”
Presenting the award on behalf of ESGR was Eric Story, Northeast Area Chair and Employer Outreach Director. “It’s critical and an honor to recognize and pay tribute to those employers that hire and support our Guard and Reserve forces,” said Story. It would be difficult for those in the uniformed services to perform their mission without employer support.”
Story went on to say, “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. Today, supportive employers are critical to maintaining the strength and readiness of the nation’s Guard and Reserve units,” said Story. “I am asking all Pennsylvania employers to take a look at their current human resources policies to incorporate policies supportive of Guard and Reserve employees.” Many Pennsylvania employers provide support above and beyond their legal requirements by law by offering pay-differential to offset the loss of wages, and extension of health care benefits, which complement coverage provided by the military, when their employees mobilize.”
Also participating in the Patriot Award presentation were Erie County Executive Brenton Davis and Erie County Director of Public Safety John Grappy.
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 Left to right: ESGR Outreach Representative Story, Patriot Award recipient Durlin, and Warrent Officer Musolff. Photo Courtesy of Public Information Officer Chris Carrol, Erie County Department of Public Safety Department