ARLINGTON, Va. — The Surry County Board of Education in Dobson is one of the 7l North Carolina employers nominated for the 2010 Freedom Award. Eighty-four North Carolina Guard and Reserve service members nominated their employers for the 2010 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, the highest recognition given by the U.S. Government to employers for their outstanding support of their employees who serve in the Guard and Reserve. The Freedom Award is particularly significant because only members of the Guard and Reserve or their family members are eligible to nominate their employers for the award.

Nearly 2,500 Guard and Reserve service members, or their families, from across the country nominated their employers for outstanding support. Nominated employers, ranging from small to large businesses and public sector employers, demonstrated support by providing continued benefits, differential pay, and family assistance. A national selection board comprised of senior defense officials and business leaders will select up to 15 recipients for the 2010 award. The Department of Defense will announce the 2010 Freedom Award recipients this summer. Recipients will be presented the Freedom Award at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 23.