For more than 100 years since the dawn of powered flight, the aerospace industry has played a critical role in supporting our warfighters around the globe and ensuring more than two million passengers arrive safely and efficiently every day.

This week marks National Aerospace Week, a celebration of the contributions that the aerospace and defense industry and its workforce have made to securing our nation; bringing people together around the world through air travel and telecommunications; and giving us all a greater understanding of our planet and our universe. Each day, more than one million workers in all 50 states go to work in the aerospace industry. They are dedicated to making sure we have safe and reliable air transportation while also working to develop and produce the capabilities that enable our armed forces to protect our Nation’s security.

The aerospace industry’s contributions to our nation extend far beyond the commercial and military aircraft you see flying each and every day. The industry also provides warfighters with the technology and equipment they need to defend our country from terrorist threats and cyber attacks. These men and women also build the weather satellite systems that give us advance warning of severe storms. Through it all world-class aerospace innovation has made significant contributions to our quality of life with technologies that include GPS, the internet, micro-electronics, artificial heart pumps, food safety systems, and even safer tires for more down-to-earth travel.

At the heart of this innovation and technology is the dedicated aerospace workforce. At Boeing, the dedication and commitment of our employees to quality and affordability is second to none. The people who fly in our planes and rely on our technology are in our hearts and minds each and every day. We take great pride in the role our company has played in the aerospace industry for nearly 100 years.

To learn more about National Aerospace Week, please visit www.nationalaerospaceweek.org.