VFW Director Receives Department of Defense Patriot Award

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) is proud to announce VFW Director of Member Services David Prohaska, was awarded the Patriot Award today by the Department of Defense’s Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) department during a special presentation at VFW National Headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri.

The Patriot Award, which recognizes bosses or supervisors for the support they have provided directly to a nominating service member or their family, reflects the efforts made to support citizen warriors through a wide range of measures including flexible schedules, time off prior to and after deployment, caring for families and granting leaves of absence if needed. Today’s award was presented by Department of Defense ESGR Missouri Area 7 Chairman George E. Bukaty and Chair Tom Krahenbuhl.

“I am a platoon sergeant in the Kansas National Guard, and my military career and this added responsibility requires many training weekends but working for the VFW, I have never had an issue with work when it comes to taking leave like so many other soldiers have,” said Mario Orelus, a Kansas National Guardsman and VFW Member Service advisor who has been employed at the VFW National Headquarters for nearly 5 years. “I nominated my director, David, for the Patriot award because he’s always there to support me, especially the last few months while getting ready for a new mission. It is an honor for me to present this award to him and to the VFW to say thank you for all of their continued support.”

An Air Force veteran of the Gulf War, Prohaska has been an employee at VFW National Headquarters for more than 18 years. He was appointed director of Member Services in May 2019. He is responsible for ensuring the highest level of service operations for the VFW Member Service Center. Prohaska has transformed the Member Service Center by implementing NICE inContact, an omnichannel contact center solution, resulting in prioritized skills-based routing, increased productivity flows and response rates to member/non-member requests. Focused on continual improvement, he also implemented a quality management solution; evaluated business applications; assessed internal processes; improving quality assurance and output.

“We are proud to have so many veterans and active Guard and Reserve members on staff because the unique skillset and experience they bring helps strengthen the VFW’s mission every day,” said VFW Adjutant General Dan West. “As a combat veteran himself, David truly understands how vital our support is to our service members and their families, and we’re honored to have someone as dedicated to the success of other veterans as he is.”

Prohaska’s previous roles within the VFW include director of Administrative Operations, deputy director of Administrative Operations, deputy director of the VFW Foundation, assistant director of Administrative Operations, and assistant director of Membership. A Bronze Legacy Life member of VFW Post 4434 in Belleville, Michigan, Prohaska was an All-American District and All-State Post Commander. He has served in numerous leadership roles at the Post, District and Department levels, as well as on many national committees. 

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About the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR): The Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) is a Department of Defense agency that seeks to promote a culture in which all American employers support and value the military service of their employees with ESGR at the principal advocate within DOD. We develop and promote employer support for Guard and Reserve service by advocating relevant initiatives, recognize outstanding support, increase awareness of the law, and resolve conflicts between employers and service members. Learn more at https://www.esgr.mil/.