Pennsylvania Office of Administration Honored for Support of National Guard

Defense Department Presents "Patriot Award" to Supervisor

HARRISBURG, Pa., Dec. 13, 2012  /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A supervisor in the Office of Administration received an award today for his support of a state employee serving in the Army National Guard.

Andrew Hardy, Sgt. 1st Class in the 166^th Regiment, nominated his civilian supervisor Randy Frye for a "Patriot Award" from Employer Support of Guard and Reserve (ESGR).  Jim Astor, South Central Area Chairman of the ESGR Pennsylvania Committee, presented the award. 

"Last year, nearly 1,700 state employees took leave from their agencies for military duty," Secretary of Administration Kelly Powell Logan said.  "We are incredibly proud of these men and women who have chosen both public service to the people of Pennsylvania, as well as answering the call to serve our country."

"Over the past year, Randy has made me feel welcome and valued as a new employee at OA and let me know that he supports my participation in the National Guard," Hardy said.  "He has gone out of his way to rearrange schedules to accommodate my service."

"The Patriot Award honors employers that are sensitive to the needs of those who went off to fight for our freedoms and our country," Astor said.  "It's not just our soldiers who serve and sacrifice; family, friends and employers also face hardships during deployments." 

Hardy is a network administrator in the Office of Administration, Office for Information Technology.  He has been an OA employee for about one year.

ESGR is a Department of Defense agency that develops and promotes a culture in which all American employers support and value the military service of their employees.  Learn more at http://www.esgr.mil/. 

Media contact: Dan Egan, 717-772-4237

SOURCE Pennsylvania Office of Administration