Guard presents Patriot award to business for supporting deployed employee

Pictured: Lt. Col. Kevin Creech (left), Steve Hassinger, Sgt. 1st Class Stephen Kraft, Command Sgt. Maj. Christopher Lagasse, Douglas Corbett and Al Starling. Photo by Master Sgt. Thomas Kielbasa

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. (June 7, 2012) – Florida National Guard Soldier Sgt. 1st Class Stephen Kraft presented an Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Patriot Award to his employer at Home Depot in St. Augustine, June 6, for supporting him during his military commitments.

 Kraft, a part-time employee with Home Depot and member of the Guard’s 927th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, presented the award to manager Steve Hassinger for supporting his military obligations, which included a year-long deployment to Southwest Asia with the National Guard.

Kraft also gave two other Patriot Awards to Home Depot managers for their support.

 Also on hand to present the award and offer their appreciation to Home Depot were Kraft’s unit commander Lt. Col. Kevin Creech , Command Sgt. Maj. Christopher Lagasse , and Douglas Corbett and Al Starling from Florida’s ESGR program.  ESGR’s goal is to support Florida’s employers who share their employees with the Department of Defense to ensure our national security. National Guard and Reserve forces today total over one million service members and represent more than 50 percent of our total military force.

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