News

Reservist's employer earns Freedom Award

  • Published
  • By Sandra Pishner
  • 446th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
In a ceremony at the end of September, the employer of one 446th Airlift Wing Reservist was presented the 2014 Freedom Award by the Secretary of Defense.

Lt. Col. Madalyn Marlatt, 446th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron operations officer, McChord Field, Washington, is employed by Capital One of McLean, Virginia, one of 15 recipients of the 2014 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award.

The Freedom Award is the DOD's highest recognition given to employers for exceptional support of Guard and Reserve employees. This year's recipients were selected from 2,864 nominations received from Guardsmen and Reservists for going far beyond what the federal law requires to support their military employees.

Although Capital One is headquartered in Virginia, Marlatt works in the Seattle office and is thrilled her employer was recognized for all it does to support her and other Reservists and Guardsmen it employs.

"Capital One is committed to hiring veterans as evident in their $4.5 million dollar pledge to support the National Chamber Foundation and its Hiring Our Heroes program.  This is a national campaign to engage the business community in committing to hire half a million veterans and military spouses by the end of 2014, said Marlatt.  "I was fortunate to be hired on by Capital One after attending the Hero 2 Hired job fair in Seattle in 2012. I love that they offer a Military New Hire Transition Program to help newly-hired personnel become successful."

According to Marlatt, the Military New Hire Transition Program covers topics such as benefits, performance management, career development, and Capital One culture.

"My employer provides 11 paid days of military leave each year and they are super supportive if I need to take additional days of unpaid leave. I work in a relatively small department (five personnel), so when one person is out for an extended period of time, it really puts a burden on the other four to get the workload done. My co-workers and boss have all been very flexible and understanding with my military service requirements," said Marlatt.

Capital One was nominated by Army National Guard Lt. Col. Christopher Doss from the 29th Infantry Division, Fort Belvoir, Virginia. He focused on the company's "Serve the Reserve" program, which provides voluntary assistance from associates to military members on extended active service as well as family support during deployments. The company has also contributed significantly to financially supporting and volunteering with military organizations.

Capital One was one of 15 recipients of the 2014 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award. 

According to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, "Guardsmen and Reservists across the nation rely on strong bonds with their civilian employers. By recognizing these 15 exceptional employers, the Department of Defense celebrates the contributions made by American employers to our Citizen Warriors. I commend these extraordinary employers for their unwavering commitment to service members and their families."

Each year, Guard and Reserve employees, or a family member acting on their behalf, have the opportunity to nominate their employer for the Freedom Award.  The ESGR State Committees review nominations and submit recommendations to advance to the next round in each of the three categories: small employer, large employer and the public sector.  A national selection board comprised of senior DoD officials, business leaders and prior awardees select up to 15 employers to receive the Secretary's prestigious award.

You can nominate your employer for the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award and find out more information at www.FreedomAward.mil.

Other awards Reservists can nominate employers for include the Seven Seals Award, Above and Beyond Award, and the Patriot Award.

For the Patriot Award, an employee serving in the National Guard or Reserve, or the spouse of a Guard or Reserve member, may nominate individual supervisors and bosses for support provided directly to the nominating service member 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.

For more information on the ESGR awards program, visit http://www.esgr.mil/Employer-Awards/ESGR-Awards-Programs.aspx
(Information from www.ESGR.mil is included in this report)