Sterling, Kimmel honored with Patriot Award

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Arkansas Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense operational committee, announced Thursday that Ron Sterling and Wade Kimmel of the Arkansas Child Support Enforcement Service were honored with a Patriot Award in recognition of extraordinary support of its employee serving in the Arkansas Guard and Reserve.
According to Paul G. Henley, Southwest Arkansas ESGR 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. Sterling and Kimmel were nominated for being highly supportive of the National Guard by their Reserve Component employee, SSG Mae McKinnon. Supportive supervisors are critical to maintaining the strength and readiness of the nation’s Guard and Reserve units.”
SSG McKinnon nominated Sterling and Kimmel for the award for their commitment to go above and beyond to support her as a member of the Arkansas National Guard while deployed and during her other military obligations. McKinnon said they truly understand what it means to be a member of the US Armed Forces. Both are employees of the Arkansas Child Support Enforcement Office. Ron Sterling is the OCSC Program Supervisor for eight counties in southwest Arkansas and Wade Kimmel is an Attorney Specialist for Hempstead and Nevada Counties.
Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense operational committee, seeks to foster a culture in which all employers support and value the employment and military service of members of the National Guard and Reserve in the United States. ESGR facilitates and promotes a cooperative culture of employer support for National Guard and Reserve service by developing and advocating mutually beneficial initiatives, recognizing outstanding employer support, increasing awareness of applicable laws and policies, resolving potential conflicts between employers and their service members, and acting as the employers’ principal advocate within DoD. Paramount to ESGR’s mission is encouraging employment of Guardsmen and Reservists who bring integrity, global perspective and proven leadership to the civilian workforce.