ST. MICHAEL, Minn. – Minnesota Army National Guard Spc. Paul Zdon presented the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Patriot Award to his employment supervisor, Park Sanderson. The award was presented recently at Hat Trick Domino's Pizza in recognition of Sanderson's support of his employee's service to the Minnesota National Guard.

Zdon was very appreciative of Sanderson's support and assistance with his Guard deployments and wanted to honor Sanderson. Zdon stated, “Park was always willing to work with me on my schedule at work, despite the situation, even if we were short staffed or had a store promotion going on and needed extra people. He always made a point to make time and find ways to make things work out. I would say he made a huge effort and still managed to make me feel like an important part of the company.”
An employee serving in the National Guard or Military Reserve, or the spouse of a National Guard or Military Reserve member, may nominate individual supervisors for the Patriot Award for support provided directly to the nominating Servicemember and his or her family. The Patriot Award reflects the efforts made to support citizen warriors through a wide-range of measures including flexible schedules, time off prior to and after deployment, caring for families, and granting leaves of absence if needed.
In addition to receiving a Patriot Award, Sanderson signed an Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Statement of Support, confirming that the company joins other employers in pledging:

We fully recognize, honor, and comply with the Uniformed Services Employment and Re-Employment Rights Act (USERRA).
We will provide our managers and supervisors with the tools they need to effectively manage employees who serve in the Guard and Reserve.
We appreciate the values, leadership and unique skills service members bring to the workforce and will encourage opportunities to hire Guardsmen, Reservists and Veterans.
We will continually recognize and support our country's service members and their families, in peace, in crises and in war.

Also present was Bob Adams an ESGR Ombudsman/Minnesota Committee member. ESGR is a Department of Defense office 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. This year, ESGR celebrates over 50 years of excellence in support of the Reserve Components and their civilian employers. For more information about ESGR outreach programs or volunteer opportunities, call (800) 336-4590 or visit www.ESGR.mil.

Award Photo left to right: Bob Adams ESGR, Spc. Paul Zdon, Park Sanderson. (Award Photo courtesy of Jeff Barthel)

Statement of Support Photo left to right: Spc. Paul Zdon and Park Sanderson. (Photo courtesy of Bob Adams)