Lawrence Livermore supervisors recognized with Patriot Award

Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), an office of the Department of Defense, recently recognized Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s Roger Rocha and Mark Zagar with Patriot Awards.

The ESGR Patriot Award recognizes supervisors for contributing to national security and protecting liberty and freedom by supporting employees participating in America’s National Guard and Reserve force.

Rocha, deputy principal associate director for operations, and Zagar, nuclear and hazardous operations manager, are part of LLNL’s Weapons and Complex Integration Principal Directorate. They were nominated for the Patriot Award by Brian Cracchiola, facility manager of the High Explosives Application Facility and a 26-year Army reservist.

"Being a successful member of the Army Reserve is a team effort consisting of one part soldier, one part family and one part supportive employers," Cracchiola said. "Often, the employers are left out of the acknowledgement and accolades. I am fortunate that my management is totally supportive of my membership in the Army Reserve and that they see the positive return on investment from my service."

ESGR was established in 1972 to promote cooperation and understanding between Reserve Component Service members and their civilian employers. They established the Patriot and other awards because these soldiers could not defend and protect the country without the continued promise of meaningful civilian employment.

According to Rocha, that promise is one that is easy to make. "The work ethic and leadership skills that the military instills in soldiers makes them invaluable employees," Rocha said. "Supporting their efforts on behalf of our country just makes sense."

"Livermore Lab serves the nation and so do the reservists," added LLNL Deputy Director Tom Gioconda. "Supporting the citizen soldier is another important way for the Laboratory to meet our mission of national security, and we are proud to do so."