ROCKINGHAM — Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, a Department of Defense office, announces Reece Saunders, district attorney for Prosecutorial District 21, as a recipient of the Patriot Award in recognition of extraordinary support of Capt. Herman Little of the 134th Legal Operations Detachment, U.S. Army Reserve.
The Patriot Award was created by ESGR to publicly recognize individuals who provide outstanding patriotic support and cooperation to their employees that have answered their nation’s call to duty. Saunders was nominated by Little for being highly encouraging of his effort to serve his country.
In addition to his duties as an assistant district attorney in District 21, Little serves as deputy group judge advocate at the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School. Assisting in the presentation is Frank Blalock, a Volunteer with ESGR.
W. Reece Saunders Jr. is a native of Richmond County, North Carolina. After graduating from Rockingham High School, he attended Wingate College and Wake Forest University. He enrolled in Wake Forest School of Law where he graduated in 1977.
Saunders returned to Richmond County in the fall of 1977 and began his law career. He had been in private practice in the 20th Judicial District for over 30 years. He also served for three years in the mid-’80s as a district court judge for District 20.
In 2010, Reece was elected to serve as district attorney for District 20A, which includes Anson, Richmond and Stanly counties. In 2014, the North Carolina legislature split District 20A into two districts, and Saunders became the district attorney for the newly created Prosecutorial District 16A (now Prosecutorial District 21).
He is married to his former law partner, Melanie Carroll. He has three children, Claire, Laurel and Michael. Saunders, Melanie and Michael are members of First United Methodist Church in Rockingham.
Supportive supervisors are critical to maintaining the strength and readiness of the nation’s Guard and Reserve units. ESGR seeks to foster a culture in which all employers support and value the employment and military service of members of the National Guard and Reserve in the United States.
ESGR facilitates and promotes a cooperative culture of employer support for National Guard and Reserve service by developing and advocating mutually beneficial initiatives, Patriot Award nominations recognizing outstanding employer support, increasing awareness of applicable laws and policies, resolving potential conflicts between employers and their service members, and acting as the employers’ principal advocate within the Department of Defense.
Paramount to ESGR’s mission is encouraging employment of Guardsmen and Reservists who bring integrity, global perspective and proven leadership to the civilian workforce.
