ST. LOUIS, Feb. 17, 2011 — The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] announced today that it will donate $5 million to the Air Force Museum Foundation in three installments over the next three years. The foundation will deliver the funds to the U.S. Air Force for the benefit of the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio.

“Boeing’s people and products have built enduring bonds with generations of airmen, so it is only fitting that we demonstrate our support for the Air Force Museum Foundation and the U.S. Air Force in this way,” said Chris Raymond, vice president of Business Development for Boeing Defense, Space & Security. “Boeing’s continuing commitment to this nationally important museum will help preserve the legacy of the Air Force’s contributions to freedom and ensure that its stories and lessons are shared with future generations.”

The Air Force will use Boeing’s donation to help construct a fourth building at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. The new, 200,000-square-foot building will house exhibits covering three areas: the history of America’s space program; the museum’s collection of presidential aircraft; and the story of Air Force global reach, featuring cargo and tanker aircraft.

“We are extremely grateful for this major gift from The Boeing Company,” said retired Lt. Gen. Richard V. Reynolds, president of the Air Force Museum Foundation. “This extraordinary act of generosity is a huge step in the effort to fund construction of the new building, and will ultimately enable the museum to do an even more phenomenal job of educating visitors on the U.S. Air Force.”

The new building will allow the museum to develop much broader educational content. The museum plans to collaborate with NASA and a variety of educational organizations and institutions to develop programming focused on history, science, technology, engineering and math.

The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force is the service’s national institution for preserving and presenting the Air Force story. Each year, more than 1 million visitors come to the museum to learn about the mission, history and evolving capabilities of America’s Air Force.

Source: Boeing
Photo: National Museum of the U.S. Air Force