Awards | Ryzhka International LLC

Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award

Ryzhka International LLC was 1 of 15 Employers selected as recipients for the Defense Department's highest honor for employers of National Guard and Reserve Service members for outstanding support.

About the Freedom Award

The Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award is the highest recognition given by the U.S. Government to employers for their support of their employees who serve in the Guard and Reserve. Nominations must come from a Guard or Reserve member who is employed by the organization they are nominating, or from a family member.

The award was created to publicly recognize employers who provide exceptional support to their Guard and Reserve employees. It is the highest in a series of employer recognition awards given by the Department of Defense.

Almost one-half of the U.S. military is comprised of the Guard and Reserve. The Department of Defense shares these citizen warriors with their civilian employers, many of whom provide significant support to their employees who serve in the Guard and Reserve. This award recognizes employers who provide the most outstanding support for their Guard and Reserve employees and is presented annually by the Secretary of Defense.

History of the Freedom Award

The Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award was instituted in 1996 under the auspices of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR). ESGR is a Department of Defense office established in 1972 whose mission is to gain and maintain employer support for Guard and Reserve service by advocating relevant initiatives, recognizing outstanding support, increasing awareness of applicable laws and resolving conflict between employers and service members.

Secretary of Defense William Perry authorized the first award in 1996 and presented it to Schneider National, McDonnell Douglas, United Parcel Service Central Florida District, Tektronix, Inc. and National Life of Vermont. In the years since, a total of 355 employers have received this prestigious award. Today, up to 15 awards are presented each year to employers in three categories, large business, small business and the public sector.

The nomination process is open to all Guard and Reserve personnel or a family member acting on their behalf and applications are submitted online to ESGR. A national selection board comprised of senior Defense officials and business leaders select the award recipients.

Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award

Al Schneider Memorial Award for Employer Excellence

This award is presented by the Enlisted Association National Guard of the United States (EANGUS), to an employer who has demonstrated outstanding support to the enlisted men and women of the National Guard and Reserves. Eligible candidates come from one of the companies evaluated and selected by ESGR who support the National Guard and Reserves. The Award is a customized plaque with jade marble inlay and gold antique die cast plate affixed to it.

Background on the Award's Namesake

The Al Schneider Memorial Award for Employer Excellence is named on behalf of A. J. "Al" Schneider, the founder of Schneider National Inc, the leading provider of premium truckload and intermodal services. The nation's largest private truckload carrier, Schneider National was started in 1935 by Mr. A.J. "Al" Schneider in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It was in 1935 that Mr. Schneider sold the family car to purchase his first truck. He operated the firm until 1961, when Don Schneider, Al's oldest son, joined the company as manager. Don is currently the CEO of Schneider National Inc. Al Schneider passed away in 1983.

In 1996, the Defense Department recognized Schneider National with the first ever "Employer Support Freedom Award" for its continued support program for associates deployed to Bosnia. In 2003, the National ESG/R Committee named Schneider National a "My Employer is a Patriot" certificate of appreciation recipient in recognition of the company's employment policies and practices that are supportive of employees' participation in the National Guard and Reserves.

Schneider National surpasses $3 billion in annual revenue. The firm operates over 14,000 tractors, 40,000 trailers and has partnerships with over 6,000 carriers. Schneider covers more than five million loaded miles per day and is utilized by two-thirds of the Fortune 500 companies. A corporate sponsor of EANGUS, Schneider National's founder Al Schneider is the namesake for this EANGUS award presented annually to an employer who demonstrates support for employees in the National Guard and Reserves. About 1,000 Guardsmen and Reservists work for Schneider National, and nearly 25% of the company's associates have military experience. Associates in the military receive full pay and benefits for up to six months while they are on military leave. Al Schneider himself was a First Sergeant with the Wisconsin Army National Guard during his rewarding life.