Annual Meeting exhibitors highlight efforts to support military families
Annual Meeting exhibitors highlight efforts to support military families
For two exhibitors at the 2013 Association of the United States Army’s Annual Meeting and Exposition, the purpose of their presence extended beyond the obvious mission of trumpeting their companies’ expertise and products.Both Fluor Corporation and Bell Helicopter Inc. used the forum to draw attention to the needs of the military communities they serve, and to show support for various service agencies that help service members and their families when needed.At a reception held during the meeting, Bell chief executive officer John Garrison presented Mike Landers, the president and chief executive officer of Armed Services YMCA, with a check for $25,000, to support the agency’s programs across the country."We are honored to recognize the outstanding contributions made by the Armed Services YMCA in support of our uniformed men, women and their families for more than 150 years," said Susan Gordon, a company spokeswoman.Other agencies receiving support from Bell include:Grace After Fire, which provides help to female veterans;Operation Homefront, providers of financial help, food, and other assistance to veterans, wounded warriors, and their families;Ride2Recovery, which sponsors bicycle rides to raise money for veterans who need help with medical and mental-health issues;Snowball Express, providers of assistance to children of fallen service members;The Fort Worth Air Power Foundation, which provides support to family members of those who served at the city’s naval air station and others in the aviation community;The National Museum of the Marine Corps and Heritage Center in Quantico, Va., andUSO, the renowned provider of entertainment to deployed troops.Fluor, the Dallas-based engineering, procurement, construction and maintenance firm, provides similar assistance at both the national and community levels.Employees at the company’s government-operations division, headquartered in Greenville, S.C., frequently take part in efforts to help the area’s Wounded Warrior Regiment, which draws many of its members from nearby Fort Jackson and other military installations in the region.Agencies receiving support include the Military Child Education Coalition, Fisher House, Homes for Our Troops, Habitat for Humanity, and the United Way, as well as other smaller community organizations.Fluor employees at corporate centers in Houston, Dallas, Mission Viejo, Calif., and overseas participate in similar activities.