Reservist's civilian boss goes Above and Beyond to support military

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Paul Dean
  • 482nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. --  The civilian employer of an Air Force reservist assigned to the 482nd Fighter Wing joined several other employers from South Florida at an awards ceremony hosted here by the Department of Defense May 3.

Chief Ken Pachnek, chief of police for the City of Lauderdale, Fla., is the civilian employer of Master Sgt. William Gordon, a security forces member at Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla. Sergeant Gordon's civilian boss received an Above and Beyond award and the praises of senior DoD representatives at the ceremony and he also signed a 5-Star Statement of Support. The event was hosted by the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve.

Pachnek said he has three reservists on his force of 118. "[The Lauderdale Police Department] is happy to do whatever we can to support what our reservists are doing; we're glad to accommodate them in any way," he said. One of the accommodations made by the city is to provide income stability to its reservists. Whether they are on duty for school, annual tour or a deployment, the city makes up any shortfalls in income for their reservists.

The ESGR 5-Star Statement of Support formalizes a positive relationship between and employer and its guardsmen and reservists. The first step in the process for Pachnek was when Sergeant Gordon submitted his employer for a Patriot Award through the ESGR Web site. All Guardsmen and reservists are eligible to submit their employer for a Patriot Award. The ESGR evaluates each award and selects those employers meeting higher criteria for the next level, the Above and Beyond Award. The top of the Above and Beyond recipients meet with the president.

"The ESGR is a great venue to educate and help [employers] handle activation and other military issues [of their reservists]," said Sergeant Gordon.

Thomas F. Hall, assistant secretary of defense for reserve affairs, praised all of the employers who gathered to accept Above and Beyond Awards and sign the 5-Star Statement of Support. "It's eye-watering to think about what these employers are doing for our reservists," said Hall.

Talking about employers who support their reservists with diverse programs including welcome home ceremonies, family support initiatives, and economic stability, Hall said of the relationship between many employers and their Guard and reservists, "It's one of the two or three great headlines of the current conflict."

In addition to the Lauderhill Police Department, Above and Beyond Awards were presented to the Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Broward County Sheriff's Office, the City of Fort Lauderdale, the City of Plantation, Marine Industries Inc., Nova Southeastern University, Protective Products International, and SR Technologies Inc.

Guardsmen and reservists can submit their employer for a Patriot Award at www.esgr.org.