BARSTOW, Calif., May 12, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) employees from the U.S. Army's National Training Center (NTC) Fort Irwin, Calif., ran alongside soldiers in the 14th annual Association of the United States Army's (AUSA) 40-mile relay race. This race pays tribute to veterans while raising money for a local veteran's home.
The team of 11 Northrop Grumman mechanics was one of 11 teams to participate in the race from the NTC to the Veteran's Home of California in Barstow. During the race, temperatures neared 90 degrees, but the heat could not stop the Northrop Grumman team from finishing in fourth place with a time of four hours and 11 minutes.
"It was an honor to run shoulder-to-shoulder with all the service members in the race," said Carlos Vero, Northrop Grumman heavy tactical vehicle mechanic and relay race team captain. "We ran the race with the fewest runners on any team. But we pulled together, motivated each other and pulled through this because that's what a good team does."
"I'm extremely proud of the way all 11 of the runners competed and represented Northrop Grumman," said Dave Booze, Northrop Grumman Technical Services' program manager for the Fort Irwin Directorate of Logistics Support contract. "For them to run a race during a regular work day so they can help raise money for such a worthy cause demonstrates their commitment to the community they are a part of."
The runners who represented Northrop Grumman in the race are: Barstow residents Carlos Vero, Juan Vero, James Green Jr., James Rasmussen, Jamie Juarez, Roy Gaston and Leonel Mendoza; Apple Valley residents Brian Milberger and Ryan Mages; and Victorville residents Donnie Goodvich and Gilbert Vargas. More than half of the runners are former military members.
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.