The Vermont Field Office for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), an agency of the Department of Defense, announced that Suzanne Pointer of GE Healthcare was presented with a Patriot Award by Mr. Jerrold Manock, a volunteer with the Vermont office for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR). Ms. Pointer was nominated to receive the Patriot Award by her employee, Major Joseph Benevento, a member of the Vermont Army National Guard who is currently deployed. Ms. Pointer was honored with a Patriot Award in recognition of extraordinary support of her citizen soldier employee.
According to Skip Poczobut, ESGR Vermont Chair, “The Patriot Award was created by ESGR to publicly recognize individuals who provide outstanding patriotic support and cooperation to their employees, who like the citizen warriors before them, have answered their nation’s call to serve. Supportive employers and supervisors are critical to maintaining the strength and readiness of the nation’s National Guard and Reserve units.”
Ms. Pointer also received the Above and Beyond Award. The "Above and Beyond Award" is given in limited numbers by state and territory ESGR committees. It recognizes employers at the state and local level who have gone above and beyond the legal requirements for granting leave and providing support for military duty by their employees.
As the 1.3 million members of the National Guard and Reserve continue to perform an increasing number of unique missions with America’s borders and beyond, ESGR will continue to be the resource for the employers of citizen warriors. ESGR recognizes outstanding support, increases awareness of the law, and resolves conflict through mediation.