Camp Lejeune, N.C. -- Marine Corps Base (MCB) Camp Lejeune Fire and Emergency Services Division (FESD) received a double honor from the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), on September 8.
Fire Chief Alexis (Alex) Rivera received the 2024 ESGR Patriot Award, while the department was recognized with the 2024 Pro Patria Award. The awards demonstrated the FESD’s exceptional commitment to employees serving in the National Guard and reserve components. Both awards were presented by ESGR representative John Matson at FESD headquarters on Camp Lejeune.
The Patriot Award recognizes individual supervisors and leaders who go above and beyond to support their employee-servicemembers. Rivera was nominated by Michael Malone, a firefighter/paramedic with Camp Lejeune FESD and a member of the U.S. Air Force Reserve.
“I am grateful for Chief Rivera’s instrumental support, which has allowed me to continue serving our nation,” Malone said. “He, along with the command staff, consistently show a genuine understanding of the unique challenges faced by reservists and National Guardsmen and proactively work to balance my military obligations with my career development within the department.”
The Patriot Award nomination highlighted Rivera’s unwavering commitment to fostering a supportive environment for employee-service members, specifically citing proactive accommodation of military obligations, advocacy for servicemembers within the department, mentorship and the creation of a positive work environment where military service is valued.
The ESGR is a Department of Defense program established in 1972 to promote cooperation and a mutually beneficial relationship between employers and their employees who serve in the National Guard and reserves. ESGR aims to increase employer support for Guard and reserve service by recognizing outstanding support, mediating conflicts and advising on policies that impact reserve component employees.
Camp Lejeune FESD was nominated for the Pro Patria Award based on its consistent efforts to accommodate training schedules, deployments and other military obligations of its employee-servicemembers. Specific examples cited included flexible scheduling, continued benefits during military leave, supportive leadership and seamless reintegration for returning servicemembers.
“I am deeply honored to receive this award,” Rivera said. “Supporting our service members, both as firefighters and as members of the reserve and National Guard, is a core value of our organization. Their dedication to both Camp Lejeune and our nation is truly commendable, and I’m proud to be able to support their continued service.”
“This award recognizes not only the dedication of our Fire and Emergency Services Department, but the Marine Corps’ broader commitment to supporting those who serve, both domestically and internationally,” Matson said.
Matson further noted that, in his 15 years with ESGR, this marks the first time a Department of Defense organization has received this honor.
“Typically, this distinction is reserved for private and non-federal entities,” Matson said, “and as a member of ESGR, State of North Carolina, it is a particular privilege for me to present it.”
The ESGR Patriot and Pro Patria Awards underscore the vital relationship between civilian employers and the military, recognizing the critical role employers play in enabling the continued service of our nation’s reserve and National Guard personnel. Camp Lejeune FESD joins a distinguished group of organizations and leaders nationwide honored for their commitment to those who serve.