WASHINGTON & MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep. 27, 2013--
Richard Davis, chairman, president and chief executive officer of U.S.
Bancorp (NYSE:USB), led a delegation of U.S. Bank employees to accept
the Freedom Award from the Secretary of Defense and Employer Support of
the Guard and Reserve on Thursday, Sept. 26, at a ceremony in Washington
D.C.
U.S. Bank is one of only 15 companies chosen to receive this year’s
award from 2,900 nominations. The Secretary of Defense Employer Support
Freedom Award is the highest honor given to employers in recognition of
the company’s commitment to supporting National Guard and Reserve
employees.
“This week, we honor members of the National Guard and Reserve who carry
that legacy forward,” said President Barack Obama in a September 20
proclamation honoring the award recipients. “We thank the employers who
support them; and we reaffirm our promise to provide our troops, our
veterans, and our military families with the opportunities they have
earned.”
“It is inspiring and a great honor to be recognized by our nation’s
leaders for the work that thousands of U.S. Bank employees have done and
continue to do to make our company a great place to work for veterans
and active duty soldiers,” Davis said. “We are humbled and deeply
grateful for the service and sacrifice of our military families, and
will continue to build a legacy of support for those who have given so
much on behalf of our country.”
The 2013 award recipients include large and small businesses, as well as
public sector agencies that have gone above and beyond their legal
obligations to military employees, offering formal and informal
initiatives that ensure service members and their families are taken
care of throughout all types of military service. The recipients’
measures of support included creating special hiring programs, providing
personal support to families such as home maintenance, and continuing
full benefits, salary and additional paid leave options during
deployment.
U.S. Bank supports Guard and Reserve employees through the Proud to
Serve program, a company-wide initiative focused on hiring and
supporting service members and their families. U.S. Bank committed to
hiring 1,000 service members and veterans by the end of 2013. U.S. Bank
was also recognized for the Freedom Award for providing two weeks of
additional paid leave to family members impacted by a deployment, among
other military support policies. U.S. Bank currently employs more than
2,000 current and former members of the U.S. military.
In addition to its employment practices, which have been recognized by Military
Times and G.I. Jobs, U.S. Bank has a number of banking
services in place to support veterans and military families. The company
offers military members its Platinum Package which entitles them to a
full suite of benefits that include waived monthly maintenance fees on
checking accounts and no annual fees on home equity lines of credit.
U.S. Bank provides a dedicated customer service center and financial
education resources specifically for military families. In 2013, U.S.
Bank began a home donation program for veterans in need through
nonprofits Military Warriors Support Foundation and Freedom Alliance.
A complete list of Freedom Award honorees is available at www.FreedomAward.mil.
About ESGR
Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, a
Department of Defense office established in 1972, develops and maintains
employer support for Guard and Reserve service. ESGR advocates relevant
initiatives, recognizes outstanding support, increases awareness of
applicable laws, and resolves conflict between service members and
employers. Paramount to ESGR's mission is encouraging employment of
Guardsmen and Reservists who bring integrity, global perspective and
proven leadership to the civilian workforce. On behalf of the Secretary
of Defense, ESGR runs the annual Secretary of Defense Employer Support
Freedom Award program. Created in 1996, the Freedom Award has been
presented to 175 employers since its inception.
About U.S. Bank
U.S. Bancorp, with $353 billion in assets as
of June 30, 2013, is the parent company of U.S. Bank, the 5th largest
commercial bank in the United States. Celebrating its 150th anniversary
this year, the company operates 3,087 banking offices in 25 states and
5,032 ATMs and provides a comprehensive line of banking, brokerage,
insurance, investment, mortgage, trust and payment services products to
consumers, businesses and institutions. Visit U.S. Bancorp on the web at www.usbank.com.
Source: U.S. Bancorp
Tom Joyce, U.S. Bank Public Relations, (612) 303-3167, thomas.joyce@usbank.com
or
Beth
Sherman, ESGR Public Affairs, (571) 372-0705, ESGR-PA@osd.mil