Hodapp Recognized With Employer Support Of The Guard And Reserve Award

Bemidji Pioneer

 

County Sheriff Phil Hodapp was presented with a state and national award of recognition Feb. 24 by Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Region Representative Jim Sushak of Bemidji.

The award recognizes Hodapp as a patriotic employer for contributing to national security and protecting liberty and freedom by supporting employee participation in America’s National Guard and Reserve Force.

Beltrami County Deputy Jeff Roberts nominated Hodapp for the award, stating that upon taking office, Hodapp learned three of his employees were deployed to Iraq.

“A deputy, dispatcher and corrections officer were absent from the schedule and others had to cover,” Roberts wrote. “When we returned, the support that was shown to us was awesome. But it did not end there. Sheriff Hodapp has gone on to show continued support for the Guard by hiring retired Guardsmen and supporting those that continue to serve. Sheriff Hodapp is a true Patriot and a tremendous supporter of his National Guard soldiers.”

Formerly known as the Soldiers and Sailors Relief Act, the project is sponsored by the Department of Defense and was started during World War II. It was renamed the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve in the early 1980s.