TAMPA, Fla. – Customer Service Managers Nadia Pyles and Steve Powers of Medical Delivery Service received the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Patriot Award recently for exception support of their Reserve Component employee.

Pyles and Powers were nominated for the award by Florida Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Phillip Miller. Roger Trout, Florida ESGR vice-chair presented the awards.

“My manager Nadia Pyles, Steve Powers and my employer are very supportive of my service in the Florida Army National Guard. During 2020-2021 I was ordered to report to active duty several times on short notice in support of COVID-19 and Operations Vigilante Peace and Capitol Response,” said Miller.

“Steve [Powers] was instrumental in getting an employee to cover my shift and Nadia [Pyles] and my company supported me at every turn allowing me to focus on my military mission.”

During the ceremony, Medical Delivery Service signed an ESGR Statement of Support. The Statement of Support confirms Medical Delivery Service joins other employers in pledging:

• We fully recognize, honor and comply with the Uniformed Services Employment and Re-Employment Rights Act (USERRA).
• We will provide our managers and supervisors with the tools they need to effectively manage employees who serve in the Guard and Reserve.
• We appreciate the values, leadership and unique skills service members bring to the workforce and will encourage opportunities to hire Guardsmen, Reservists and Veterans.
• We will continually recognize and support our country’s service members and their families, in peace, in crises and in war.

Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) is a Department of Defense program established in 1972. The mission of ESGR is to gain and maintain employer support for Guard and Reserve service by recognizing outstanding support, increasing awareness of the law, and resolving conflict through mediation. ESGR volunteers provide free education, consultation, and if necessary, mediation for employers of Guard and Reserve employees.

The Florida Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Committee’s Chair is retired U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Rita Broadway.

More information about ESGR Employer Outreach Programs and volunteer opportunities is available at www.esgr.mil/fl.

Photo from left to right: Customer Service Managers Nadia Pyles and Steve Powers of Medical Delivery Service proudly show their Patriot Awards with Pyles holding the Statement of Support.