NORRISTOWN, Pa. – Pennsylvania Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), an office of the Department of Defense, announced that the Montgomery County Veterans Center recently received a Seven Seals Award in recognition of extraordinary support of employees serving in the Guard and Reserve.  Pennsylvania ESGR is particularly proud to present employers with a Seven Seals for their strong support of their employees serving in our nation’s Reserve forces during ESGR’s 50th Anniversary year. 

The Seven Seals Award is the broadest and most inclusive of the awards given by ESGR and was initiated by the Pennsylvania ESGR State Chair, Marty Kuhar.  The Seven Seals Award is presented in recognition of significant individual or organizational achievement, initiative, or support that promotes and supports the ESGR mission, to include the efforts of the more than 3,600 volunteers who carry out ESGR’s mission across the Nation on a daily basis.  

The award was presented by Ryan Gatto, Southeast Area Volunteer and Ombudsman, on behalf of ESGR and Kuhar.  Gatto noted that a manager at the  Montgomery County Veterans Center, Allison Stanco-Aguilar, received a Patriot Award in 2019 and that the facility’s personnel have shown a long history of “incredible support” for service members in the National Guard and Reserves.  Gatto had an opportunity to speak with several Reserve forces service members immediately after the presentation of the Seven Seals Award, they mentioned the support and encouragement they receive: 

• Covering for extra shifts while guard members and reservists were on training,
• Encouraging the guard members and reservists to take extra time before and after deployments to have personal time to prepare for deployment and reacclimate after,
• Supporting requests from the guard members and reservists for extra training,
• Reintegrating the guard members and reservists into the team after extended training or deployment,
• Taking over case files from the guard members and reservists while they were on deployment - including all-hours on call coverage,
• Helping the guard members and reservists feel part of the team even when they were away,
• Providing touchpoints with the families of the guard members and reservists and helping the families feel part of the wider community; and, 
• Sending care packages to the guard members and reservists while on deployment. 

Gatto noted: “All these items and more show how the Montgomery County Vet Center and its dedicated staff went above and beyond in their support for the guard members and reservists on their team;” and, further 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.  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.