PASCAGOULA, Miss., April 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HII’s (NYSE: HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division hosted an inaugural Scout merit badge day, fostering the next generation of leaders while nurturing the values of hard work, dedication, commitment, and community engagement, shared by both shipbuilding and Scouting.

“We were thrilled to host our first merit badge day at Ingalls and to have the opportunity to nurture the skills and values of these young boys and girls enrolled in scout programs,” Ingalls Shipbuilding Community Relations Manager Lisa Bradley said. “Through initiatives like the Scout merit badge day, we aim to inspire and support the next generation of shipbuilders.”

The event, held at the Ingalls Shipbuilding Maritime Training Academy, welcomed over 100 Scouts and Scout leaders from across the Gulf Coast region, offering them the opportunity to choose from eight areas of interest and earn two badges. Each Scout participated in two merit badge classes of their choice ranging from engineering, drafting, fire safety, painting, plumbing, communications, electricity and electronics.

Photos accompanying this release are available at: https://hii.com/news/hii-ingalls-shipbuilding-hosts-inaugural-scout-merit-badge-day/.

Eagle Scout and Ingalls Shipbuilding Vice President of Quality and Engineering Brian Blanchette also expressed enthusiasm for the event and the values of leadership and skill development exemplified by Scouting.

“As an engineer by trade and Eagle Scout, I can attest to how the core principles instilled in Scouting — such as teamwork, problem solving, and attention to detail — have prepared me for a successful career in shipbuilding,” Blanchette said. “Today’s event showcased how Scouting molds individuals into capable professionals ready to tackle any challenge, and I am proud to work for a company that believes in empowering our young Scouts.”

As the largest manufacturing employer in Mississippi and with over 11,000 employees, Ingalls Shipbuilding is dedicated to fostering a culture of innovation, growth, and community engagement by investing in initiatives that support and inspire the leaders of tomorrow.

About HII

HII is a global, all-domain defense provider. HII’s mission is to deliver the world’s most powerful ships and all-domain solutions in service of the nation, creating the advantage for our customers to protect peace and freedom around the world.

As the nation’s largest military shipbuilder, and with a more than 135-year history of advancing U.S. national security, HII delivers critical capabilities extending from ships to unmanned systems, cyber, ISR, AI/ML and synthetic training. Headquartered in Virginia, HII’s workforce is 44,000 strong. For more information, visit:

• HII on the web: https://www.HII.com/
• HII on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeamHII
• HII on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/WeAreHII
• HII on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/WeAreHII

Contact:

Kimberly K. Aguillard
228-355-5663
[email protected] 

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3ff20948-ddec-4d7a-b6e6-e09f9103f287