US military presents special 'Patriot Award' to Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park employees

BALDWIN PARK, Calif. (KABC) -- The U.S. military presented two Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park employees with a special "Patriot Award" for accommodating the needs of a nurse deployed and serving overseas.

That nurse, Staff Sgt. Rene Aventura, nominated Arous Kalenderian and Geoffrey Leysa for their efforts in always supporting his requests for time off.

Aventura is a Medical Personnel Army Reservist, and is currently on active military service overseas on his third deployment.

"I feel blessed that I have an employer like Kaiser Permanente, who gives me 100% support while I'm deployed, as well as and knowing that when I come back, I have my full time job ready for me," Aventura said.

The "Patriot Award" is a prestigious award that recognizes select employees of companies that support citizen warriors through a wide-range of measures, including flexible schedules, time off prior to and after deployment and caring for families.