I’d like to begin by saying a heartfelt thank you to each and every one of you.  Thank you to all of the members of the 306th Bombardment Wing, who served so honorably to defend our nation and fight for peace during some very trying times for our country and our world.   And thank you to the spouses and families for your support and sacrifice during their service to our country.   

At Boeing, we know that magic happens when there is a thriving spirit of working together among our people – and we know that is true in any endeavor. In fact, working together is a core value at Boeing – and you might even say that it’s our motto.   

The 306th Bombardment Wing had many members over its history who, working together, exercised great courage in every mission.  Whether you served in support of the Cuban Missile crisis, the conflict in Vietnam, in support of the Strategic Air Command’s mission, whether you were a member of the flight crew or you were a pilot, you all worked together. Most importantly, you performed your duties with great respect for their importance in defending the rights of freedom and liberty throughout the world.  And on this eve of the third anniversary of the horror of 9/11, we know this is a fight we  wage yet today. 

As participants in the Strategic Air Command’s vigil, you were at a constant state of alert. Because of that our enemies always knew that at any time we were more than ready for whatever they could bring.  In each activity in which you took part, you demonstrated great respect for your mission, respect for one another and respect for how you, the members of the 306th, worked together to get your job done so that you may return safely to your loved ones and preserve peace in our country.  And The Boeing Company thanks you for that.   

Tonight, we’re also celebrating a great aircraft – one of the giants of aviation that I know many of you know a lot about -- the B-52 – also called the Stratofortress (or the B.U.F.F!)   I’d like to take just a couple of minutes to take you back 50 years or so by showing a news reel played at the movie theatres in the fifties -- to when the original B-52 was at the height of advanced aviation technology. I think that these images will bring back some important memories.   

(VIDEO shown) 

No bomber in U.S. military history has been called upon to remain operational for the length of time expected of the B-52.  The B-52 continues to fly missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, and soon, the B-52 will welcome the third generation of crews.  Just think of a grandfather working on the B-52 in the 1950’s, a son in the 1970’s and a grandson or granddaughter today.  And it’s entirely conceivable that yet another generation or two beyond that third generation might serve on one of these great aircrafts.   

The B-52 is in its fifth decade of operational service, and it’s capabilities have been adapted over time to meet our changing defense needs.  B-52s have been modified for low-level flight, conventional bombing, extended-range flights and transport of improved defensive and offensive equipment -- including ballistic missiles that can that can be launched hundreds of miles from their targets. 

The story of the initial design of the B-52 is one of cooperation, innovation, and urgency brought on by specifications requested by the Air Force’s chief of bomber development, Colonel Pete Warden, who exercised his leadership and challenged the boundaries of then existing technology and design.   

After the original design of the XB-52 was selected by the Army Air Force, on Thursday, October 21, 1948, Col. Warden asked Boeing engineers to do a study of how they might scrap the straight-wing, six-engine, propeller-powered design and instead design an all-jet bomber.  And the first catch was that he wanted this by Monday – just four days later.  And the second catch was if they couldn’t do it, the B-52 would be cancelled.    

At first, the team of engineers didn’t quite understand the request.  They soon realized that Col. Warden was serious, and he truly meant that he expected a final product four days later.   

So six Boeing engineers – who had traveled to Dayton, Ohio and were not in Puget Sound where their equipment, teams of support crews and data were located – were forced to improvise.  And remember, these were the days prior to laptops, cell phones, blackberries and palm pilots…..

Led by the Senior Vice President of Engineering, Ed Wells, the team worked in a converted suite in Dayton’s Van Cleeve Hotel.  They ran out to buy drafting equipment and made a now infamous trip to a hobby shop to buy balsa wood to create a model, the scale of which was determined by one of the few measuring devices they had – a 12-inch ruler.    

There they were, six engineers working for three straight days -- five of them hovered over tables working to crunch the numbers, based on the data they had with them, and one, the company’s chief aerodynamicist, sitting alone in the corner whittling away at the balsa wood, ultimately creating a model that would be the first in the B-52’s long history.   

Utilizing then-new technology and fulfilling their task to create a plane that out-performed any previous model, during those few days, they redesigned the B-52 with such features as curved skins on the thin, swept-back wings, a body that is relatively small compared to its wing-span, bicycle landing gear, and – to the great satisfaction of Col. Warden – eight jet engines.   

The design was approved and an initial order for 13 planes was issued.  In all, Boeing’s Seattle and Wichita plants produced 744 planes and the final delivery of the last B-52 variant, the B-52H, occurred in October, 1962.  The B-52H is still in service and weighs nearly 500,000 pounds, can travel at 650 miles per hour for more than 10,000 miles and to heights of 50,000 feet. 

Throughout the 1950s, the B-52 earned numerous distance and speed records. It cut the round-the-world speed record in half, and in January 1962, it flew 12,500 miles nonstop from Japan to Spain without refueling. This flight alone broke 11 distance and speed records.  

The Air Force and Boeing have continually updated the remaining B-52 with new avionics, data-link communications, defense systems and precision-guided weapons capabilities.  Boeing has extended the structural life of the B-52H airframe to at least the year 2040 through a service-life extension program that has become an industry standard. Boeing continues to work with the Air Force on the B-52H on three projects: The B-52 H Avionics Midlife Improvement Program; the B-52 Situational Awareness Defensive Integration Program; and B-52 fleet support.   

Because the B-52 has been kept up to date with numerous improvements over the years, it is referred to as the bomber that is "not getting older, just getting better."  

As a company with an 88-year history that began in a boathouse, we at Boeing also like to think that we’re not getting older and that we’re just getting better.  For some years, Boeing had focused more on commercial airplanes and not as much on the military sector, but with our McDonnell Douglas and Rockwell mergers, we were able to transform our business and balance our interests to roughly half commercial and half – what we call – Integrated Defense Systems.   

I’d like to share some information about how Boeing is developing the next generation of military technology – or – Future Combat Systems.  Future Combat Systems is designed to use advanced technologies to integrate manned and unmanned ground and air platforms and sensors. It will include 18 individual systems, the network, and the soldier on point to create a highly agile, versatile, survivable, supportable and lethal force.  

This is the future of military combat and Boeing is a proud partner in this momentous effort.   

So I hope you agree that we’re not just getting older, we really are getting better.  And with each new technological advance we can bring greater safety, more precision, and efficient, successful battles to any theater in which our products are called into service - under the able control of today’s servicemen and women.   

When I look at all of you, I see the legendary “abundance of strength” embodied in each member of the 306th that helped keep our nation safe for so many years.  I am delighted to see that your experiences and this strength have created lasting friendships, and what is evident to me – a cherished extended family.  I hope this reunion will bring you many more lasting memories.  

Please enjoy the reception and thank you again for coming this evening.  It’s truly been our honor.