(Arlington, VA) - SkyWest Airlines is the only southern Utah employer among 33 Utah employers nominated for their Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR). The announcement Tuesday by the US Department of defense said the agency received 3,236 nominations nationwide for the agency's highest employer recognition for supporting members of the Guard and Reserve. Semifinalists for the 2012 Freedom Award will be announced later next month.

Up to 15 recipients will be announced this summer and honored in Washington, D.C. on September 20 at the 17th annual Freedom Award Ceremony.

For a list of Utah employers nominated for the 2012 Freedom Award, go to Utah Freedom Award Nominees

Guard and Reserve members, or family members acting on their behalf, nominated their civilian employers for the Freedom Award during the 12-week nomination season. Guard and Reserve members, who stand ready to serve whenever our Nation needs them, often put their civilian lives on hold when they answer the call to duty. Supportive employers provide a tremendous amount of stability and peace of mind to these Citizen Warriors and their families, enabling them to continue their dedicated service to our country.

ESGR National Chair James G. Rebholz said, "Guardsmen and Reservists continue to receive outstanding support from their employers. America's employers have not wavered in their commitment to our Citizen Warriors."

For a list of nominations from all 50 states, U.S. territories and the District of Columbia, go to www.FreedomAward.mil.