Car Rental Company Goes Out of Its Way to Support Our Troops (Wizbang)

Dollar/Thrifty Automotive Group owns both Dollar Rent a Car and Thrifty Car Rental, and it's going to receive the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award for going above and beyond supporting its employees who are called to active duty:

Marine reservist Cpl. Blake Milam says his civilian employer, Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, Inc., has gone the extra mile to make him feel good about his military service.
Last year, the Tulsa, Okla.-based rental car company gave a welcome-home party for Milam after he'd returned from an 8-month duty tour in Fallujah, Iraq, he said.

"They've been really supportive," the 23-year-old automobile inventory technician said of his employer. "They've gone out of their way to help me out."

Milam nominated his employer to receive the prestigious Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award. Dollar Thrifty is among 15 businesses and organizations selected to receive the annual award, which recognizes exemplary support for employees in the Guard or reserve.

Dollar Thrifty also provided Milam with two raises and a slice of company profits that he'd missed while he was serving in Iraq.

A radio operator in military life, Milam said his employer's support enabled him to perform dangerous duty in Iraq without worrying about his job back home. Milam experienced the death of three of his fellow Marines and the severe wounding of three other comrades during heavy fighting against the enemy.

Milam credited Dollar Thrifty for helping him to make the transition back to civilian life after his return from Iraq in October 2006.

"Things are going really good, right now," he said.

It's so refreshing to see a company go out of its way to support its employees when they are called to duty. When I need to rent a car, I will go out of my way to rent from either Dollar Rent a Car or Thrifty Car Rental.

_{About The Author: Kim Priestap is a freelance writer, blogger extraordinaire, wife, and mom to three wild and wacky kids. In addition to blogging at Wizbang, she also writes at her personal political blog KimPriestap: No-nonsense conservative opinion.

You can follow Kim on Twitter at @KimPriestap.}

Comments (11)

Thank you for this post....... (Below threshold)

1. Posted by nogo war | September 11, 2007 8:14 PM | Score: 2 (4 votes cast)

nogo war:

Thank you for this post....
We give too little to those in need,,
not that we don't want to..
but we sometimes forget..
how some stranger helped us
when we really need help

Let us help each other,,,
as we can ,,,when we can

Thanks again Kim...for this reaffirmation..

Posted on September 11, 2007 20:14

For the perhaps the first t... (Below threshold)

2. Posted by SCSIwuzzy | September 11, 2007 9:08 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)

SCSIwuzzy:

For the perhaps the first time, I agree with Nogo.

Posted on September 11, 2007 21:08

Now that is purebred awesom... (Below threshold)

3. Posted by Linoge | September 11, 2007 9:18 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)

Linoge:

Now that is purebred awesomeness incarnate. It is definitely outstanding to know that there still exist companies which support our troops and their efforts. It is somewhat sad to say, but a fair number of other companies could take a page from the rulebook of a rental car company, of all places, on how to treat their soldiers, sailors, and airmen.

Posted on September 11, 2007 21:18

Ditto that, SCSI.... (Below threshold)

4. Posted by yo | September 11, 2007 10:05 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)

yo:

Ditto that, SCSI.

Posted on September 11, 2007 22:05

Too bad our politicians beh... (Below threshold)

5. Posted by ODA315 | September 11, 2007 10:47 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)

ODA315:

Too bad our politicians behavior didn't mirror Dollar/Thrifty. Kudos

Posted on September 11, 2007 22:47

I hope they do real good bu... (Below threshold)

6. Posted by spurwing plover | September 12, 2007 12:43 AM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)

spurwing plover:

I hope they do real good buisness and rent out a whole lot of SUVs

Posted on September 12, 2007 00:43

This is nothing but public ... (Below threshold)

7. Posted by MrGrinch | September 13, 2007 3:50 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

MrGrinch:

This is nothing but public relations BS. Look at the big picture. Dollar/Thrifty recently let several hundred people go, outsourcing many of those jobs to India and the Philipines.

Now they accept an award on how well they treat the reservists. Although this part of the story is true, they don't give a damn about the reservists or Blake Milam. If it becomes financially expedient, his job could be outsourced as well.

What are our troops fighting for, when they come home and all the jobs belong to India, the Philipines, or illegal immigrants?

Don't look at a company just by the awards it may receive. Take a look at how they treat the average employee.

Posted on September 13, 2007 15:50

We in Reliable get so much ... (Below threshold)

8. Posted by Car Rental In Israel | September 20, 2007 3:17 AM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)

Car Rental In Israel:

We in Reliable get so much support that it's hard to believe any other company gives such support to its employees as well. If this is the case - the car rental industry is going in a good way! Way to go!

Posted on September 20, 2007 03:17

We - the employees in Hertz... (Below threshold)

9. Posted by Car Rental In Israel | September 20, 2007 3:30 AM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)

We - the employees in Hertz get huge support from our superiors. I believe that this part of the work relationships in each company

Posted on September 20, 2007 03:30

Some of the companies manag... (Below threshold)

10. Posted by Car rental in Israel | September 23, 2007 4:54 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Car rental in Israel:

Some of the companies managers support and some- don't. thats the way ....

Posted on September 23, 2007 04:54

wow! when i nominated DTAG ... (Below threshold)

11. Posted by blake milam | September 26, 2007 12:50 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

blake milam:

wow! when i nominated DTAG for this I had no idea it would go this far! I just told one or 2 people that they did a good thing for me and it just started building from there. I had never talked about Iraq to anyone here at work and now that the secret is out the company is even more supportive. and thank you to all who show any support. lets us know there is at least one reason to be over there.

-blake milam

Posted on September 26, 2007 00:50