WASHINGTON – The 2025 Secretary of Defense Freedom Award nomination season is open, meaning Guard and Reserve service members across the nation can submit their exceptional employers for national recognition beginning October 1 until December 31.

Nominations for the Freedom Award must come from a Guard or Reserve service member, or their family members, for the organization employing the service member. Service members can nominate large and small employers from a broad cross-section of America, including health, transportation, hospitality, entertainment, banking, service, and security, as well as from federal, state and local government agencies.

There are many ways employers show their support for their military employers, as shown by last year’s award recipients.

Arizona Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. Alec Londino submitted his employer, Cordia. “Cordia's unwavering support for the guard, reserve, and their veteran employees extends well beyond the walls of its industrial steam & chilled water facilities. Their generous benefits package & Paid Time Off policy allowed me to focus on the mission while having peace of mind back home. From the heartfelt handshakes and well-wishes before deployment to the offers to check on my home while I was away, and the flood of welcome back emails and texts upon my return, I am forever grateful for the people I work with.”

Navy Federal Credit Union, Vienna Virginia, nominator Air Force Reserve Staff Sgt. Faith Clark said, “Navy Federal had provided unparalleled support to me, and other employees who are members of the Guard and Reserve. Paid leave policies, continued benefits while on leave, and actively recruiting Guard Reserve/Employees are all ways that Navy Federal demonstrates their commitment to those who serve. Co-workers and managers provide a personal level of support through major life events like deployment and redeployment. Care packages, morale-boosting messages, and being organizationally recognized as a servicemember are all ways that I have been made to feel valued and supported.”

Army Reserve Sgt. 1st Class Angel Fagans wrote in his nomination, I nominated the Shelby County Fire Department for the Freedom Award to show my appreciation and gratitude for their continuous and unwavering support displayed towards the department’s military service members. Always encouraging and praising our military service, Shelby County Fire Department leads the way of how an employer should treat their employees when duty calls. As an entity that serves the community, it is such a great feeling knowing that our fire department honors and respects its individuals when it’s time to serve our nation. On behalf of all the service members, I would like to say thank you to them with this award.”

Of the nearly 1,800 employers nominated by their Guard and Reserve employees, just 15 became recipients in 2024.

History of the Freedom Award

• Freedom Award began in 1996 and is administered by Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve.
• The award recognizes outstanding employers that go significantly above and beyond what is required by USERRA and draws attention to support from the employer community. Each employer can only receive this award once.
• Only 355 employers have received the award.
• More than 30,000 nominations have been received since 2011.

For more information about the Freedom Award, and the steps to nominate your employer, visit www.FreedomAward.mil. To learn more about ESGR, visit www.ESGR.mil.