John Morgan, General Manager at America’s Car-Mart of Ponca City, Okla., a buy here pay here dealership, has received the prestigious Patriotic Employer Award for his unwavering support towards employees serving in the Guard and Reserve. The Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), an office of the Department of Defense, presents the award.
John was nominated for the Patriot Award by Charles Nordmann, Assistant Manager at the Ponca City dealership and an Oklahoma Army National Guard member. “John is very supportive of me and my military service,” he says. “John has made my deployments stress-free. His support gives me peace of mind and one less thing to worry about when I’m deployed or off training.”
“It makes me feel appreciated when I have this kind of support. Knowing that I can come back to Car-Mart and integrate back into the team without discrimination or grief is fantastic and adds to my enjoyment of my life at Car-Mart, adds Charles, who joined Car-Mart in 2021.”
John understands the experience of being in the National Guard and the challenges of receiving support from an employer. John spent 12 years in the Missouri Army National Guard, having joined as a high school junior. He completed Advanced Individual Training (AIT) for Signal Corps.
“It’s important to me to support Charles,” says John. “I want to go the extra step to help anyone who will serve their country, to do something you can’t do, or that you’ve done to support our freedoms.”
Also, according to John, the Ponca City Car-Mart team supports Charles and admires his strength, nobility, and perseverance to uphold his duty as an American citizen. “They keep in contact with Charles, and they’re thrilled about the award,” he continues. “Some customers will stop and ask about Charles and how he is doing while overseas.”
The military service of Charles – a family tradition
Charles comes from a family with a proud military tradition. Both his father and grandfather served in the Army, so it was only natural that Charles followed in their footsteps. He joined the Oklahoma Army National Guard in 2009 and completed AIT for the Air Defense Artillery Corps.
Sergeant Nordmann currently serves as a Radar OPS NCO in the Minnesota National Guard’s 34th Infantry Division—HSC. He was previously deployed as part of the Air Defense Airspace Management Cell and is currently deployed with the G39 AMD team.
As a member of the National Guard, Charles trains one weekend each month and undergoes annual training lasting from one to three months during the summer. During his time in the Guard, Charles was deployed to Afghanistan from June 2011 to March 2012 with the HHC 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team and to Jordan from January to September 2023 with the HHB 45th Field Artillery Brigade. Currently, Charles is deployed overseas.
Charles has applied to become a Warrant Officer. If accepted, he will complete training and remain in the Guard for the foreseeable future.
About the Patriot Award
The Patriot Award recognizes individuals and organizations that support citizen warriors by providing them with flexible schedules, deployment time off, family care, and leave of absence. The ESGR, an office of the Department of Defense, was created in 1972 to promote cooperation and understanding between service members and their civilian employers.
To learn more about the Patriot Award and ESGR, visit the ESGR website.
