NHBB Astro Honored For Supporting Employee Deployed In Iraq(Pic)

NHBB Astro was honored recently for its outstanding support of Andrew MacDonald, a Sergeant (SFC) in the Guard who recently spent a year in Iraq. In January, the “N. H. Employer Support of the Guard” (NH-ESGR) held a banquet to honor its 2006 list of exceptional employers. The Astro Division was given two honors, the Patriot Award and the Above and Beyond Award.



The Patriot Award was given to Barry Wilk and the entire division for their outstanding support of Andrew, who nominated the division for this honor. The ESGR Committee Chairman’s Above and Beyond Award was presented to Astro for going beyond the requirements of the law to support its citizen-soldier. For this award, companies may be recognized for providing differential pay, continuing health care benefits, maintaining contact with families and deployed warriors, and providing care packages to the theater operations. Only one other NH-based company received this award.

Materials Manager Barry Wilk, who is MacDonald’s supervisor, was on-hand to receive the awards. “This truly is a great honor,” said Wilk. “The entire division deserves credit for these awards, especially our employees who assembled the care packages. Of course, we are pleased that Andrew returned home safely and has been reunited with his family and with everyone at Astro.”

Andrew MacDonald is a Production Planner with Astro and has been with the company for over five years. In 2005, he was deployed with the Task Force Green Mountain under the 3rd Army Central Command, Kuwait. MacDonald patrolled areas in southern Iraq near Safwan, a town located south of Basra. His duties included force protection for six bases and quick reactionary force deployment to roadways in southern Iraq.

Before MacDonald left, Barry had appointed another employee to fill-in temporarily while MacDonald was on duty. During Andrew’s stint overseas, Astro provided health insurance benefits to Andrew’s family (Andrew’s health insurance was covered by the Guard). Although Andrew did not accrue vacation time or receive holiday pay, he did receive his share of production bonuses paid while he was absent. When MacDonald returned home in December of 2005, he settled back into the same position he held a year earlier.

Astro’s employees volunteered their support, as well. The personnel in MacDonald’s office and on the shop floor took part in putting together the care packages. They donated goods and bought other items from the proceeds of 50/50 raffles. Supplies included snack foods, books, magazines, candy, newspapers, cleaning supplies, movies, toiletry items and decorations for the holiday. Of the care packages, MacDonald said, “My platoon and I appreciated very much the many items that would come in these 45-pound boxes. I shared most of it with my platoon in order to boost morale. That kind of support is something you can't put a value on.”

As for whether or not Andrew is headed back to Iraq, he is not slated to return anytime soon. Still, he plans to remain on active guard status for three more years. “I guess my country will let me know when they need me next,” he said.

Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) is a department of defense organization. It was established in 1972 to promote cooperation and understanding between Reserve component members and their civilian employers. Today, ESGR operates through a network of hundreds of volunteers throughout the nation. Its mission is to gain and maintain active support from all public and private employers for the men and women of the National Guard and Reserve.

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