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For the second year in a row, the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) has earned Department of Defense recognition for its support of staff members who also serve in National Guard and Reserve units.

APL, based in Laurel, Maryland, received the and awards from DoD’s (ESGR) Maryland Committee. This comes a year after four APL staff members received ESGR Patriot Awards for their support of fellow staff members also serving in National Guard or Reserve units. To receive the Pro Patria Award, an employer has to have been previously recognized by the ESGR office.

The Lab was nominated for ESGR recognition by Casey R. Smith, a program operations coordinator at APL and a petty officer second class in the U.S. Navy Reserve who works in air support logistics.

“I am thankful for all the support my APL team gives me when I go on reserve duty, despite the occasional extended time away from the office,” Smith said. “The Laboratory even has a program to cover the difference between my APL salary and my military pay when I’m detached. I think it reflects well on the upper management.”

APL was Maryland’s largest employer to receive the Pro Patria Award, the highest recognition bestowed by ESGR state-level committees.

The recognition says a lot about how APL culture supports staff members who want to continue serving the nation in the Reserve and National Guard, and it does not surprise Larry Harvell, the Lab’s military and veteran recruiting program lead. By design, Harvell said APL’s missions align very closely with DoD missions, and APL leaders back up their stated commitment to supporting veterans, reservists and National Guard members.

“To get these awards, you have to be nominated by either a member of the National Guard or a reservist,” Harvell said. “This means, as an organization, APL is the type of place where staff members feel a level of support by leadership that makes them want to take the time necessary to nominate their employer.”

Smith said the support he received from APL during a challenging year fulfilling his military commitments inspired him to do something to show his appreciation. Earlier this year, Smith spent a month away receiving advanced specialized training to perform his job in the Navy. Then, he went on detachment to the Red Sea region with the VR-53 Capital Express Squadron, one of the Navy’s five C-130 squadrons.

While detached, Smith was the lead petty officer for mission operations, handling flight plans, coordinating where crew members stayed, briefing pilots on mission logistics and keeping track of the paperwork for the cargo being delivered.

Smith coordinated the delivery of replacement engines and critical operation supplies to forward-deployed forces, and he also managed the delivery of mail and care packages to sailors at sea.

“One of the more rewarding things I work on is orchestrating the delivery of care packages and Amazon shipments,” Smith said. “As a deployment goes on, ship stores run low on supplies, so these deliveries are important to boost morale at sea.”