PHOTOS: Patriotism, as seen by Coast Guard Reserves Petty Officer and part-time Ashland City Fire Department (ADFD) firefighter Stephanie Miller, is putting country above self. Those who, like Miller, serve their country, can’t do it alone, and now, through the Department of Defense (DoD), Miller has found a way to say, “thank you” to those who help her help her fellow countrymen.
The Ashland City Fire Department was recently presented the Patriotic Employer Award, a special recognition from the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Presented at the Ashland City Fire Station # 1 in Ashland City, the award comes from the Department of Defense’s Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Office.
According to DoD spokesman Joshua L. Wick, “The Patriot Award reflects the efforts made to support citizen warriors through a wide range of measures including flexible schedules, time off prior to and after deployment, caring for families, and granting leaves of absence if needed.”
Those in the guard and reserves (or their spouses) nominate their employers to the DoD. According to Wick, over 5,000 servicemembers/spouses have nominated their employers in the last fiscal year. “The intent of the program is to increase employer support by encouraging employers to act as advocates for employee participation in the military. Supportive employers are critical to maintaining the strength and readiness of the Nation’s Guard and Reserve units,” Wick said.
Miller has served as a volunteer ACFD firefighter for the last five years and commended Chief Chuck Walker for all the ways she has observed the department and Walker support those in service, such as working around guardsmen and reservemen schedules or sending care packages overseas to firefighters’ children serving overseas.
“We respond to a lot of last minute natural disasters like hurricanes and flooding, and where the army will normally get more time to deploy, we might get 24 to 48 hours notice, and the fire department has been really accommodating during that. They’ve been extremely helpful for me, even if I’ve been on shift for big events like Summerfest. The department has never given me a hard time about going. They’re always supportive about it, always checking in while I’ve been away on orders,” Miller said.
