American Airlines Serves Nation's Military Heroes With Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation Partnership

FORT WORTH, Texas, March 23, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- This week American Airlines will recognize those who have received the nation's highest military honor by hosting nearly 30 United States Medal of Honor recipients in the days leading up to the national Medal of Honor Day on Wednesday, March 25, 2015. As the official airline of the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation for Medal of Honor Day, American and many of its employees will volunteer their time and resources to support a core cause for the world's largest airline – supporting men and women who serve our country, veterans and their families.

"Paying tribute to the most distinguished members of our nation's armed services is an honor and privilege we've been thrilled to be a part of for the last five years," said Elise Eberwein, American's executive vice president of people and communications. "These Medal of Honor recipients have gone above and beyond the call of duty. Every day, the more than 100,000 American Airlines employees proudly embrace our commitment to recognizing the sacrifices of these heroes and all active service members, veterans and their families."  

On Monday, the Medal recipients and their guests will attend the Foundation's annual Circle of Honor dinner at the New York Stock Exchange to celebrate their courage and patriotism. On Tuesday, they will board a special American Airlines charter flight from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). This flight will receive a hero's send-off in New York from American Airlines employees, the Patriot Guard, New York Port Authority, a pipe and drum corps and a similar welcome in Washington, D.C. The Medal recipients will then kick off their activities in the nation's capital with a luncheon hosted by American, the Air Power Foundation, Boeing and the USO where America's Tenor Steve Amerson will perform.

"American's support allows us to honor the recipients of America's highest military honor for valor and promote what the Medal of Honor represents," said Ron Rand, president and CEO of the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation. "We're thrilled with all the ways American has supported the Foundation and the recipients in the past. We're excited about continuing to work with the company and its dedicated employees to perpetuate the Medal of Honor's legacy through outreach and collaborative efforts."

American has been involved with the Foundation since 2009 to support its activities and celebrate Medal of Honor recipients. The annual American Airlines Sky Ball has enjoyed the participation of the Foundation for many years and the event has raised funds for the Foundation's Character Development Program, an extensive educational outreach program. In 2011, the company became the first airline to offer all current and future Medal of Honor recipients top-tier Executive Platinum^® status in its AAdvantage^® loyalty program. Given to only its most elite customers, this status ensures these individuals who have shown extraordinary heroism will have access to the best elite amenities throughout their entire travel experience. In 2014, American served as the official airline of the National Medal of Honor Convention.

American Airlines has long-standing ties to the nation's armed forces. With more than 6,000 employees who are active military or veterans, the airline places a strong emphasis on its military and veterans initiatives. American supports members of the military, veterans and their families via in-kind contributions to nonprofit organizations and through employee engagement in a diverse range of events and activities throughout the year. This includes a wide variety of military charities such as the USO, Air Compassion for Veterans, Hero Miles, Snowball Express and charter flights for Salute to the Troops and Seats for Soldiers. Through these and more charitable efforts, American continues to help make a difference in the lives of those serving our country.

About American Airlines
American Airlines Group (NASDAQ: AAL) is the holding company for American Airlines and US Airways. Together with wholly owned and third-party regional carriers operating as American Eagle and US Airways Express, the airlines operate an average of nearly 6,700 flights per day to 339 destinations in 54 countries from its hubs in Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Washington, D.C. The American Airlines AAdvantage and US Airways Dividend Miles programs allow members to earn miles for travel, vacation packages, car rentals, hotel stays and everyday purchases. Members of both programs can redeem miles for tickets as well as upgrades to First Class and Business Class. In addition, AAdvantage members can redeem miles for vacation packages, car rentals, hotel stays and retail products. American is a founding member of the oneworld alliance, whose members and members-elect serve nearly 1,000 destinations with 14,250 daily flights to 150 countries. Connect with American on Twitter @AmericanAir and at Facebook.com/AmericanAirlines.

About the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation
The Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation was founded in 1999 by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society with the mission to perpetuate the legacy of the Medal through outreach and education. Through its Character Development Program, the Foundation reaches out to the citizens of America, and particularly to young Americans, to promote an awareness of the values embodied in the Medal and to teach that ordinary citizens, through courage, sacrifice, selfless service and patriotism, can make a difference in the lives of others and change the course of history. The Foundation, which also supports the important work of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, is an IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit with Tax ID #25-1828488.

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