EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Nov. 25, 2009 -- More than 625 U.S. servicemen and women on active duty will be able to talk to loved ones back home over the holidays for free, thanks to the generosity of the employees of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC).

In just one day of fundraising on Veterans Day, members of the company's Women in Northrop Grumman (WiNGs) and Women's Network Group (WNG) service clubs collected more than $11,500 in employee donations to purchase phone cards for U.S. military personnel on active duty.

"This remarkable level of fund-raising is a testament to the generosity of Northrop Grumman employees and their ongoing commitment to the safety and well-being of U.S. servicemen and women," said Gary Ervin, corporate vice president and president of Northrop Grumman's Aerospace Systems sector.

The clubs were able to purchase 100 cards for ship-to-shore calls and 525 cards for land-based calls, he added. The calling time on the cards ranges from 80 minutes for use in Iraq/Afghanistan, to 300 minutes in the U.S.

Representatives from WiNGs and WNG presented the cards to Michael Teilmann, executive director of the Bob Hope United Service Organizations (USO) on Nov. 24 during a USO-sponsored pre-Thanksgiving luncheon and entertainment salute at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The event was held for several hundred soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen preparing to leave for extended active duty.

According to Sharon Wood, a chairperson for WiNGs' community outreach who made the presentation to USO, the response by Northrop Grumman employees to the fundraising effort was "very impressive."

"Many people came to our collection area (in the cafeteria) with the express purpose of making a donation," she said. "They walked straight past the food and came right to us. They made donations ranging from the change in their pocket up to $500, with many, many people giving $100."

Many of the people who donated, added Wood, were themselves veterans who had experienced the long lines and frustrations of trying to make phone calls home from remote parts of the world. Many others made donations in honor of their children, relatives or friends serving on active duty.

The USO serves as the focal point for the charitable giving activities of the employees of Northrop Grumman's Aerospace Systems sector. Employees participate regularly in activities ranging from fund-raisers to USO care package stuffing events at company locations throughout the U.S.

In 2009 alone, Aerospace Systems employees have donated or raised more than $200,000 for the USO and produced more than 94,000 care packages for U.S. military personnel overseas. They are also currently working with volunteers from LA Works and the Cabinet Factory to refurnish and refurbish the Bob Hope USO at LAX, one of the top USO centers in the world.

The USO is a private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to support the troops by providing morale, welfare and recreation-type services to our men and women in uniform. The USO currently operates more than 135 centers worldwide, including ten mobile canteens located in the continental United States and overseas.

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide. 

  CONTACT:  Brooks McKinney, APR 
          Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems
          (310) 331-6610 Office
          (310) 864-3785 Mobile
          brooks.mckinney@ngc.com