Chief Tabor Receives Patriot Award

By Damon Stone,
Staff Writer

At the end of the regular City Council meeting on Monday, Jan. 27, Chief Darren Tabor was presented with the Patriot Award.

The award comes from the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, or ESGR, and was given to Tabor in recognition of his support to the Kentucky Army National Guard.

Chris Gadbois, the chair for Area 10 of the Kentucky ESGR, explained that the award is dedicated to employers who have shown outstanding support for their employees who are a part of the National Guard.

Gadbois explained that their organization’s focus is on educating employers of the benefits in hiring reserve service members, and on the integral part that they play in the National Defense strategy, and how said employers play a significant role in that strategy.

Employers and service members are also educated on responsibilities to each other under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act in the event of an issue, with the organization mediating situations as a neutral third party.

Gadbois elaborated that the award program is initiated by the service members themselves, which recognizes outstanding employers and their employees who have shown support for service members that work for them.

In Tabor’s case, during Sergeant Brandon Thompson’s most recent deployment in Syria, he had remained in contact with Thompson throughout, and managed to create hundreds of pounds worth of care packages that were sent to soldiers in Thompson’s unit.

“We had enough supplies to carry some over to the unit that replaced us,” Thompson added in his written nomination.

Additionally, Tabor had ensured that he had a smooth transition out of military service, and back into work after mobilization and making contact with Thompson throughout his deployment, as well as keeping up with his family.

“Chief Tabor is a prime example of what it means to create a positive work environment for anyone serving in the Reserves or National Guard,” Thompson said in his written nomination.

Thompson also stated that during his employment in the Police Department, that Tabor has remained supportive of his duty to the National Guard, and has never held anything against him,

“I was totally surprised, I had no idea about it,” Tabor said. “Officer Thompson is a great officer, and we missed him for a year when he was gone, and we’re glad he returned to us safely. We respect him for coming in for what he did for the citizens and for the military.”