CARY, N.C. – After receiving their Freedom Award at the Pentagon on August 22, the team from SAS held a reception at their world headquarters in Cary Aug. 28.

The reception was hosted by their head of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) team led by Danielle Pavliv and the SAS Military Network committee led by Dan Schaub a U.S. Airforce veteran and committee chairman. The event emphasized the significance of the Freedom Award. The SAS Military Network recognized SAS executives, company leaders, and colleagues for their support of both veterans and reserve servicemember employees.

“We were only one of 15 organizations out of nearly 1,800 from across the country to be recognized by the Department of Defense,” said Gary Smith, Sr. Director of Government Consulting and Sponsor for the SAS Military Network. He thanked the tremendous support from company leadership, the SAS Military Network committee and the team from the N.C. Committee for the Guard and Reserve for their help in guiding SAS on the nomination. He introduced Ken Oppenheim, Area Chair for the North Carolina Committee for the Guard and Reserve (NC-ESGR) and not an unfamiliar face on the SAS Campus, to explain more on what the Freedom Award means and what ESGR does for reservists and employers. “By valuing the military service of your Guard and Reserve employees, you are directly supporting the readiness of our All-Volunteer Force, and our national defense,” said Oppenheim.

Capt. Sean Mobley, the U.S. Army Reserve officer that nominated SAS for the Freedom Award, explained why it was important to him to recommend his employer. “I was at my basic officer course, when I was notified that I was going to deploy,” said Mobley. “I had already been gone from my employer for months with all my training, when I was notified to be mobilized at the end of my training to fill a vacancy in the 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team,” he said. Mobley explained that he was surprised at the mobilization, but then had to consider what this would do to his team back at SAS, a job he had not held for that long. He explained the team at SAS stood by him and supported him 100%.  That support is what motivated him to recommend SAS. “SAS is like my family,” he said.

Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, Pat Brown, shared with the group how impressed she was with the way they were treated at the Pentagon. “Everyone at ESGR and the Pentagon, treated us with such respect and thoughtfulness from start to finish,” she said. Noting that only a handful of commercial companies across the U.S. the size of SAS were recognized and that is a testament to all those present and the culture of SAS.

The SAS Military Network not only supports their current National Guard and reserve servicemembers, it provides a wide variety of veteran outreach and engagement programs. Everything from working with outside organizations helping veterans transition to civilian life and possible employment at SAS, to military and veteran spouse programs and even a “Be An Ally” tool kit where non-veteran employees can learn more about the network and support their programing. Veterans at the event shared that just knowing other veterans on staff is helpful. They said sharing stories about their service and a bit of inter-service rivalry is fun, but knowing there is someone else that can relate to a veteran’s unique experiences is really helpful.

To read more about Cpt. Sean Mobley’s experience at SAS, visit its website.

ESGR is a Department of Defense program 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.

For more information about ESGR outreach programs or volunteer opportunities, call (800) 336-4590 or visit www.ESGR.mil/NC