Poplar Bluff veteran recognizes employer support of Armed Forces

Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, a U.S. Department of Defense program, announced that Pike Electric was honored with the Patriot Award in recognition of extraordinary support of its employees serving in the National Guard and Reserves.

Staff Sgt. Joshua Parkin, a lineman with Pike Electric, and a motor transport operator with Company A, 935th Aviation Support Battalion, Missouri Army National Guard, nominated his supervisor, Jody Bowers for the award. Parkin is a resident of Poplar Bluff.

“Jody has been very supportive of my National Guard duties. From weekend drills to state emergency duty to my deployment in 2017, Jody made the process of transitioning from civilian to soldier and back to civilian very easy,” Parkin said in a press release from ESGR. “He is very patriotic, and is dedicated to helping service members exceed in their civilian work while being in the service.”

ESGR seeks to foster a culture in which all employers support and value the employment and military service of members of the National Guard and Reserve in the United States, according to the organization. Paramount to ESGR’s mission is encouraging employment of Guardsmen and Reservists who bring integrity, global perspective and proven leadership to the civilian workforce. “The Patriot Award was created by ESGR to publicly recognize individuals who provide outstanding patriotic support and cooperation to their employees, who like the citizen warriors before them, have answered their nation’s call to serve,” said Brig. Gen. (Retired) Greg Mason, Missouri ESGR state chair. “Supportive employers are critical to maintaining the strength and readiness of the nation’s Guard and Reserve units.”