Bethesda, MD, 06-FEB-04 --

Lockheed Martin today announced it is joining forces with the United Service Organizations (USO) to participate in the Operation USO Care Package program. The Lockheed Martin/USO alliance will enable Lockheed Martin employees to support America's men and women in uniform that are deployed overseas through the purchase of Operation USO Care Packages.

Approved and endorsed by the U.S. Department of Defense, the USO program will provide packages to aid in morale-boosting and comfort for men and women of the Armed Forces.

We are very excited to launch our Lockheed Martin Employees Care campaign and to support the USO as an official partner in such a meaningful program as Operation USO Care Package, said Lockheed Martin Chairman and CEO Vance Coffman. If we can, in some small way, offer a sense of comfort and home to our heroes, then we've provided a great service that we are very proud of.

The corporation will contribute an initial $50,000 to purchase 2,000 care packages for the troops. Additionally, it will provide $50,000 in a one-for-one match for the first 2,000 packages purchased by employees. The Lockheed Martin/USO campaign will be launched on February 6, 2004.

Donations will be used to purchase an assortment of items the military has specifically requested, such as disposable cameras, prepaid international calling cards, toiletries, and sunscreen. These items, along with signed greetings from employees, will be put into the Lockheed Martin/USO Care Packages and sent to the troops.

The USO deeply appreciates Lockheed Martin's offer to promote this initiative to show our fighting men and women that they are remembered, said Edward A. Powell, USO President and CEO. This program is possible because of the support of corporations like Lockheed Martin and its employees.

The USO is a nonprofit, charitable organization and is not part of the federal government. The USO's mission is to provide morale, welfare and recreation-type services to uniformed military personnel. The USO operates 121 centers worldwide, providing an array of programs and services for military personnel and their families.