Arch's Thunder Basin Coal Company Earns Pro Patria Award for Support of Military Employees in Wyoming

GILLETTE, Wyo., June 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Thunder Basin Coal Company, a subsidiary of Arch Coal, Inc. (NYSE:ACI), has been named a recipient of the 2013 Pro Patria Award, the highest award given to an employer by the Wyoming's Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), an agency of the U.S. Department of Defense.

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"We're proud of our Guard and Reserve employees and their families, and we're honored to be recognized for supporting the people who support our nation," said Arch Coal Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Paul A. Lang.

The Pro Patria Award is presented annually in each state to employers who have shown exceptional support for our national defense by adopting personnel policies that make it easier for employees to participate in the National Guard and Reserve.

"Thunder Basin Coal Company has always been an outstanding employer, going well beyond the requirements of the law," said Terry Wilkerson, Wyoming's ESGR state chair. "It's our honor to recognize this employer."

Wyoming ESGR is the third state committee to recognize Arch Coal and its subsidiary operations with a Pro Patria Award. The ESGR previously recognized Arch Coal in Missouri and Mingo Logan's Mountain Laurel mining complex in West Virginia.

ESGR is a Department of Defense agency established in 1972. Its mission is to gain and maintain employer support for Guard and Reserve service by recognizing outstanding support, increasing awareness of the law and resolving conflicts through informal mediation. ESGR volunteers provide free education, consultation and, if necessary, mediation for employers of Guard and Reserve employees.

U.S.-based Arch Coal, Inc. is one of the world's top coal producers for the global steel and power generation industries, serving customers in 25 countries on five continents. Its network of mining complexes is the most diversified in the United States, spanning every major coal basin in the nation. The company controls a 5.5-billion-ton reserve base of high-quality metallurgical and thermal coals, with access to all major railroads, inland waterways and a growing number of seaborne trade channels.

SOURCE Arch Coal, Inc.