Vought Supports Reserve Aid at Stars and Stripes Dinner

DALLAS, JAN. 9, 2009 – Employees from Vought Aircraft Industries will attend and support the second annual Stars and Stripes Dinner hosted by Reserve Aid at the Frontiers of Flight Museum at Love Field here on Jan. 10. The keynote address will be delivered by Admiral Patrick Walsh, Vice Chief of Naval Operations.

Reserve Aid is a non-profit organization committed to providing financial support to the families of Reserve Service Members, from all services, who have been called to active duty and are experiencing financial difficulty. Reserve Aid provides grants to military personnel and their families, often ranging from $1,000 to $6,000 for short-term needs like school clothes, or long-term needs like job training.

One case included a grant of $9,000 to a 24 year-old soldier from Texas with a wife and two children. The soldier was severely injured in 2003 from an IED blast and now suffers from severe TBI and other ailments that will require surgery in the future.  Reserve Aid paid approximately $1,350 for his insurance and $7,700 to purchase a car so his wife can drive him to hospital appointments, 85 miles from his home.

Vought is contributing to the event with a $5,000 table sponsorship. The 10 Vought attendees at the Stars and Stripes dinner are to include a few of the many Vought employees who are veterans. As with a recent USO Santa Sendoff in Dallas, Vought and its workers are committed to supporting the nation’s troops.

“We are happy to support Reserve Aid,” said Mark Blanton, director, Vought Military Programs. “These types of organizations fill a great need for our Armed Services families. A little help can go a long way to get families through the difficulties of separation or financial difficulties. It reminds us of the importance of our day-to-day work in building quality parts to help our military do its job.”

About Vought

Vought Aircraft Industries, Inc. (www.voughtaircraft.com) is one of the world’s largest independent suppliers of aerostructures.  Headquartered in Dallas, the company designs and manufactures major airframe structures such as wings, fuselage subassemblies, empennages, nacelles and other components for prime manufacturers of aircraft. Vought has annual revenue of approximately $1.6 billion and about 6,600 employees in nine U.S. locations.