BNSF News

U.S. Department of Defense Recognizes BNSF With Award in Missouri

2012-09-13

The U.S. Department of Defense recognized BNSF with the Above and Beyond Award for support of employees deployed for military service.

BNSF is a strong supporter of the military and of employees who serve in the guard or reserves. Brian Twitchel, a BNSF employee who has been deployed more than six times as a reservist, felt that BNSF needed to be recognized for going "above and beyond" and nominated BNSF for this Employer Support of Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Award. Motivating him, in part, was the fact that BNSF bridges pay and provides a job after deployment.

Twitchel, a retired sergeant from the Missouri Army National Guard, is a signal maintainer now working out of St. Joseph, Mo. He was serving in Joplin at the time he made the nomination. Twitchel pointed out that BNSF consistently strives to hire military veterans to work for the railroad, but that wasn't why he was prompted to nominate BNSF.

"Asking me to tell you why BNSF deserves this award is like asking a kid to tell you what one piece of candy he wants," Twitchel said. "I have been deployed more than six times: Iraq two times, hurricanes Gustav and Katrina, Joplin tornado and St. Louis flooding. The company has gone above and beyond to make sure our wages are matched to make up the difference so that my family and other families don't have to change how they live. In addition to all that, BNSF also sent a care package."

Twitchel's supervisor at the time, Matthew Heiser, also stayed in close contact with the reservist and with his family. They knew they could call on Heiser if they needed assistance.

"I could have asked for anything, and he would have done anything he could to help," Twitchel said.

A government website devoted to the program states that the Above and Beyond Award is presented by ESGR state committees and recognizes employers at the local level who have gone above and beyond the legal requirements of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA).

The Above and Beyond Award was created by ESGR to publicly recognize American employers providing extraordinary support and cooperation to their employees, who like the citizen warriors before them, have answered their nation's call to serve. The award is given in limited numbers by state committees.

About the photo: Pictured from left to right is Maj. Gen. Stephen Danner, BNSF's Brian Twitchel, BNSF's Matt Heiser, Lt. Gen. Frank Grass, and another U.S. Department of Defense representative.

BNSF Headquarters

BNSF Railway Company
2650 Lou Menk Dr. 2nd Floor
P.O. Box 961057
Fort Worth, TX 76161-0057
Phone: (817) 352-1000

For more information on the company and its transportation solutions, visit the BNSF Web site at www.bnsf.com