{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.heller.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/notable-nevadans?ContentRecord_id=666f2168-326d-4d1c-ac45-6ee4255eeb7c", "RECOGNIZING WASHOE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTS  AIR NATIONAL GUARD", "2014-09-23", "2014", "2014-09", "Republican", "House", "NV", "Dean Heller", "H001041", "www.heller.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "RECOGNIZING WASHOE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT\u2019S\r\nAIR NATIONAL GUARD\r\nHON. DEAN HELLER\r\nOF NEVADA\r\nIN THE UNITED STATES SENATE\r\nSeptember 17, 2014\r\nMr. HELLER. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize and congratulate the Washoe County School District\u2019s Air National Guard for receiving the Secretary of Defense Freedom Award.\u00a0\r\nFormer Secretary of Defense, William Perry, developed the Secretary of Defense Freedom Award under the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve office in 1996.\u00a0\u00a0 Each year, up to 15 awards are presented to employers in three categories: large business, small business, and the public sector.\u00a0 The award honors employers who have shown exceptional support to their Guard and Reserve employees and have gone above and beyond what is federally mandated to ensure that their military employees are well taken care of.\u00a0 This esteemed award is the highest in a series of Department of Defense employer awards, and I congratulate Washoe County School District\u2019s Air National Guard on being selected as one of only 190 employers to receive this award.\r\nWashoe County School District\u2019s Air National Guard\u2019s extraordinary level of support they provide to their service members is admirable, and I am both humbled and honored to acknowledge Washoe County School District\u2019s Air National Guard here today. \u00a0During deployment, the school district takes the time to send emails and care packages to the brave men and women. \u00a0Its support services also extend to the members\u2019 families.\u00a0 Washoe County teachers volunteer their own time to help children and spouses who are in need of assistance by babysitting, housecleaning, and running errands. The school district has also been commended for the support it showed after a fellow Guardsman and teacher, Michael Landsberry, was killed defending students during a shooting at Sparks Middle School last year.\u00a0\r\nEach and every day, our troops are serving the United States to protect the freedoms we enjoy today.\u00a0 They dedicate their lives to serve this great nation and constantly make grave sacrifices to ensure the safety of our country. Our service members and their families deserve our gratitude and thanks, and as a member of the Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee, I am committed to keeping our nation\u2019s promise to care for them.\u00a0 There is no way to adequately thank the men and women that lay down their lives for our freedoms, but Washoe County School District\u2019s Air National Guard has shown an unwavering dedication and commitment to ensuring that our service members and their families are getting the support that they deserve.\r\nI ask my colleagues and all Nevadans to join me in congratulating Washoe County School District\u2019s Air National Guard and know that they serve as an example for the rest of the Silver State.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.heller.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/notable-nevadans?ContentRecord_id=666f2168-326d-4d1c-ac45-6ee4255eeb7c"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8509471081197262, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}