American Airlines and Its Employees Increase Commitment to Veterans and Military Personnel
June 17 2009 - 9:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
Employees Announce Launch of Veteran Military Employee Resource
Group FORT WORTH, Texas, June 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- American
Airlines, American Eagle and their employees are demonstrating an
increased commitment to veterans and members of the military
through the formation of a Veteran Military Employee Resource Group
(VMERG) and increased support at the corporate level. The VMERG,
the first of its type in the U.S. airline industry, is a group of
employees whose purpose is to promote the roles and contributions
of veterans and active-duty military employees and to serve as a
liaison between American Airlines and the veteran and military
communities. The VMERG currently has chapters in Cary, N.C.,
Chicago and at American's headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas. "We
are very excited to have the opportunity to unite the volunteer
efforts already given by so many American employees," said Susan
"Sam" Seelbach, VMERG President. "Our employees are very passionate
about providing support to the men and women, both active duty and
veterans, who bear our nation's colors and protect our freedoms."
Seelbach noted that while employees have volunteered for many
years, the corporate infrastructure and support gained from
organizing into an employee resource group will further increase
the group's impact. In addition to its long history of employee
volunteerism for veterans and the military, American has long
supported these brave men and women at a corporate level through a
variety of initiatives, ranging from special travel benefits to
events for wounded veterans and programs for the families of fallen
heroes. American provides special travel benefits to qualifying
active members of the military, including waived baggage fees,
discounts on leisure travel, preferred-seating upgrades, and
complimentary Admirals Club admission. An estimated 10,000 active
military service members were guests at American's Admirals Clubs
last year. "I am proud to be a part of a company that so
consistently and clearly demonstrates a commitment to our
military," said Capt. Steve Blankenship, Director - Veterans
Initiatives at American, noting that more than 60 percent of pilots
and approximately 10 percent of all American Airlines employees are
active military service members or veterans. In May alone,
American, American Eagle and employee volunteers supported programs
including: -- Wounded Warrior Rodeo Roundup -- As the official
airline of the Wounded Warrior Rodeo Roundup on May 29, American
assisted with transportation for nearly 400 soldiers and family
members from Killeen's Fort Hood, San Antonio's Brooke Army Medical
Center and Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, D.C., to
Milano, Texas, for a fun-filled weekend complete with a private
rodeo, live concert and bass fishing tournament. Vietnam veteran
and actor Dale Dye, known for his roles in Band of Brothers and
Saving Private Ryan, served as master of ceremonies. -- Operation
Iraqi Children "Thank-you" Event -- On May 28, American Airlines
volunteers delivered thank-you letters to Grapevine Elementary
School students from the Iraqi children who benefited from
Operation Iraqi Children (OIC). In April, American and OIC
partnered to transport more than 20 tons of cargo, including
Crocs(R) shoes and school supplies, as well as letters from the
Grapevine fifth-graders, for U.S. troops to deliver to Iraqi
children. To see videos of the grateful Iraqi children receiving
aid from OIC, go to http://bit.ly/3LdhZS. -- National Memorial Day
Concert and Parade -- American was a sponsor of the national
Memorial Day Concert, which aired nationwide on Sunday evening, May
24, on PBS. American also was the official airline of the nation's
largest Memorial Day parade, in Washington, D.C., which attracted
an estimated crowd of 300,000 and also aired on the Pentagon cable
channel. American was represented in the parade by employees from
its VMERG, the wife and children of U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Michael
Elledge, who was killed in Iraq in 2008. The Elledges - Carleen,
Caleb and Cassidy - have participated in Snowball Express, an
organization that brings together and provides special programs for
the families of fallen military heroes. -- Race for Heroes -- On
May 16, American sponsored the Race for Heroes at the Ballpark in
Arlington, Texas. Nearly 1,500 participants joined 5K and 10K races
to honor and pay tribute to the men and women who serve our
country, with all proceeds benefiting Snowball Express. Special
guests included retired Col. Ken Cordier, a Vietnam veteran who was
a prisoner of war for more than six years. -- Marine Fleet Week --
The United States Marine Corps launched its inaugural Marine Fleet
Week in Chicago, May 11-17, as the city welcomed nearly 2,000
Marines. American's VMERG, led by Chicago Chapter Chairwoman Linda
Kozma, hosted the first-ever celebration at Chicago's O'Hare
International Airport to recognize the contributions of the
Marines. The event included a gate dedication ceremony and a
chronological "History of the Marines" museum exhibit on display at
Gate K3 May 11-14. A special guest at the celebration was Brig.
Gen. Melvin G. Spiese. In addition to these events, VMERG is
spearheading plans for a North Carolina Heroes Gala Aug. 29 in
Raleigh-Durham to benefit area service men and women. Plans are
also under way for the seventh annual Sky Ball at Alliance Airport,
scheduled for Oct. 24 in Fort Worth. About American Airlines
American Airlines, American Eagle and AmericanConnection(R) serve
250 cities in 40 countries with, on average, more than 3,400 daily
flights. The combined network fleet numbers more than 900 aircraft.
American's award-winning Web site, AA.com(R), provides users with
easy access to check and book fares, plus personalized news,
information and travel offers. American Airlines is a founding
member of the oneworld(R) Alliance, which brings together some of
the best and biggest names in the airline business, enabling them
to offer their customers more services and benefits than any
airline can provide on its own. Together, its members serve nearly
700 destinations in more than 130 countries and territories.
American Airlines, Inc. and American Eagle Airlines, Inc. are
subsidiaries of AMR Corporation. AmericanAirlines, American Eagle,
AmericanConnection, AA.com, We know why you fly and AAdvantage are
registered trademarks of American Airlines, Inc. (NYSE: AMR)
AmericanAirlines(R) We know why you fly(R) Current AMR Corp.
releases can be accessed via the Internet. The address is
http://www.aa.com DATASOURCE: American Airlines CONTACT: Andrea
Huguely, Corporate Communications of American Airlines,
+1-817-967-1577, Web Site: http://www.aa.com/
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