ARLINGTON, Va. -- Enterprise Rent-A-Car was recognized as a 2005 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award recipient, by David Janes, the national chairman for the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) - a Department of Defense agency.

Of almost 1,500 nominations from national guardsmen and reservists, Enterprise was one of 15 companies selected for the ESGR award. The company was nominated by Robert Landry, an Army Reserve major and sales manager for Enterprise Fleet Services in Alpharetta, Ga.

Enterprise employee on active duty in the National Guard or Reserve can receive full pay and benefits during their service. Currently, Enterprise has about 500 employees in the National Guard and Reserve.

Enterprise was founded by Jack Taylor, a veteran U.S. Navy fighter pilot, and the company’s name is a tribute to an aircraft carrier Taylor served on – the U.S.S. Enterprise.

The Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award was instituted in 1996 by then-Secretary of Defense William Perry.

Other recipients include Alticor, Incorporated, Citizens Financial Group, Eaton Corporation, IDACORP, Los Angeles Police Department, Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections, Pioneer Financial Services, Ryland Homes, Sears, Roebuck & Co., South Dakota State University, the State of Delaware, Toyota Motor Sales, USA, USAA and Wachovia Corp.