LEWISTON – The United States Postal Service office in Lewiston was recently nominated to receive the 2009 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award.

It was instituted in 1996 under the auspices of the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve to recognize exceptional support from the employer community. The award is the U.S. government’s highest recognition given to employers for support of their employees serving in the Guard and Reserve. The Freedom Award is particularly significant because only members of the National Guard and Reserve or their family members are eligible to nominate their employers for the award.

More than 3,200 National Guard and Reserve members from across the country nominated their employers for their outstanding support. Many employers, for example, provided continued benefits, differential pay, family assistance and additional support. A national selection board comprised of senior defense officials and business leaders will select up to 15 recipients for this year’s award. The Department of Defense will announce the 2009 Freedom Award recipients this summer. The 2009 Freedom Awards will be presented at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 17 at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Center.