ATLANTA, March 20, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) has signed on as a national sponsor for the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation, furthering its commitment to members of the U.S. armed forces.

"These true American heroes have given so much to their country and Delta is honored to be able to give back to them," said Tad Hutcheson, Delta's Vice President of Community Affairs. "We are proud to support the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation and continue to honor the legacy of the Medal of Honor recipients."

As part of Delta's sponsorship and in recognition of National Medal of Honor Day on March 25, Delta's support of the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation centers around sponsorship of educational programming and honoring each of the living 79 Medal of Honor recipients with Diamond Medallion status.

"We're honored by Delta's generous offer, especially at this time," said Medal of Honor Recipient Hal Fritz, President of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. "It will help accomplish the travel all Recipients do in our efforts to perpetuate the legacy of the Medal."

In addition to Diamond Medallion status, the recipients will receive unparalleled benefits ensuring that these heroes and their travel companions experience a smooth and seamless journey each and every time they travel on Delta. All future Medal of Honor recipients will also be awarded this status.

"We are thrilled to enter into this partnership with Delta Air Lines," said Ron Rand, President and CEO of the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation. "Our foundation recognizes the courage, sacrifice and patriotism of our recipients and we are proud Delta is joining us in our efforts."

Delta is committed to supporting active military and veterans throughout the U.S. As part of its commitment, Delta partners with the Fisher House Foundation, Luke's Wings, Marine Toys for Tots, Serving Our Troops, the USO and airport military lounges, including the Freedom Center in Detroit and the Minnesota Armed Forces Service Center. Whether it's supporting a new Fisher House facility in Seattle, donating thousands of bikes to the Marine Toys for Tots campaign or serving barbecue at the Bob Hope USO or grilling steaks for the troops with Serving Our Troops, Delta will continue to support the men and women who serve or have served in the U.S. armed forces.

About the Congressional Medal of Honor Society

The Congressional Medal of Honor Society was chartered by the Congress in 1958 to create a brotherhood among the living Medal of Honor recipients, to protect and uphold the dignity and honor of the Medal, to promote patriotism and love of country, and to inspire our youth to become worthy dedicated citizens of our nation. Its membership consists exclusively of those individuals who have received the Medal of Honor. Today, there are 79 living recipients of the Medal of Honor. The Society is unique in that its membership hopes that there will be no need to welcome new inductees.

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.

About Delta

Delta Air Lines serves more than 170 million customers each year. Delta was named to FORTUNE magazine's top 50 World's Most Admired Companies in addition to being named the most admired airline for the fourth time in five years. Additionally, Delta has ranked No.1 in the Business Travel News Annual Airline survey for four consecutive years, a first for any airline. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 326 destinations in 59 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs nearly 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 700 aircraft. The airline is a founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance and participates in the industry's leading trans-Atlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia as well as a newly formed joint venture with Virgin Atlantic. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 15,000 daily flights, with key hubs and markets including Amsterdam, Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York-JFK, New York-LaGuardia, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City, Seattle and Tokyo-Narita. Delta has invested billions of dollars in airport facilities, global products, services and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Additional information is available on delta.com, Twitter @Delta, Google.com/+Delta, Facebook.com/delta and Delta's blog takingoff.delta.com.

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SOURCE Delta Air Lines

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