There were a total of 13 nominations from Guam and the CNMI. Of those nominations, the American Red Cross-NMI chapter and the Unified Judiciary of Guam were selected as semifinalists, or among the top 131 employers in the nation. A total of 2,470 employers were nominated nationwide.
The Freedom Award is the highest award given to employers by the U.S. government to honor exceptional support of employees serving in the National Guard and Reserve.
This year marks the 15th anniversary of the award which was instituted in 1996 by the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, or ESGR.
ESGR, is a Department of Defense agency established in 1972 under the auspices of the secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs.
The finalists, or the top 35 employers in the nation, will be selected by July, with the announcement of the National Freedom Award winners, or the top 15 employers in the nation, to come sometime in August.
Those winners will be personally presented their awards by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates in Washington, D.C. this September.
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