The Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) honored U.S. Senators Jim Inhofe (R-Oklahoma), Richard Shelby (R-Alabama), and Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) with the “Wright Stuff Award” in recognition of their support of the aerospace and defense industry.
“On behalf of the 2.1 million employees working in the aerospace and defense industry, it’s an honor to present our ‘Wright Stuff Award’ to Senators Jim Inhofe, Richard Shelby, and Patrick Leahy for their decades of bipartisan leadership and service,” AIA President & CEO Eric Fanning said. “Sens. Inhofe, Shelby, and Leahy will leave a legacy of unwavering support and dedication to investment in our military, our national security, and the U.S. defense industrial base that supports both.”
“Thank you to the Aerospace Industries Association for presenting me with the Wright Stuff Award,” Sen. Shelby said. “This is a high honor. I am proud of what Senator Inhofe, Senator Leahy, and I have been able to accomplish in this space. The safety and security of our nation is paramount, which is why I have supported the aerospace and defense industry throughout my career. There is no wiser investment than that of our military.”
The AIA praised Shelby for being a longtime advocate for the U.S. military and the manufacturing base that supports it.
“Sen. Shelby’s role on the Senate Committee on Appropriations as both Chair and Vice Chair will continue to have a lasting impact on the military, NASA, and our civil aviation system,” the AIA said in a statement. “Sen. Shelby has served the state of Alabama in both chambers of Congress as well as in the state legislature. He was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986 and is currently in his sixth term.”
For nearly three decades, Sens. Shelby and Leahy led congressional delegation trips to the Farnborough and Paris Air Shows, critical convening opportunities for industry, government partners, and thought leaders.
“The Wright Stuff Award” was created in 2020. It is named after the inspiring Wright brothers, whose ideas and inventions ushered in the age of flight and, in turn, transformed the world. The award recognizes individuals who have made major and measurable contributions to the U.S. aerospace and defense industry.
The aerospace and defense industries play a significant role in Alabama’s economy.
Shelby is retiring at the end of this Congress. He is being replaced in the Senate by his former Chief of Staff, Katie Britt. Shelby has served in the U.S. Senate since 1987. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives representing Alabama’s Seventh Congressional District from 1979 to 1986 and in the Alabama Senate representing Tuscaloosa from 1970 to 1978. He is a graduate of the University of Alabama and the University of Alabama School of Law.
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