NEWPORT NEWS, Va., Nov. 2, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE:HII) is pleased to announce its three star-level sponsorship of the annual USO Gala, which will take place tonight at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C. HII’s sponsorship will help enable the USO to continue its critical mission of lifting the spirits of troops and their families through the many programs the organization delivers to service members, their families and wounded warriors.

“The work the USO does to support our service men and women and their families around the world is invaluable,” said HII President and CEO Mike Petters. “As a company that for more than 125 years has built the great military ships that help protect America’s freedoms around the world, we are honored to partner with the USO.”

This year the USO celebrates its 71^st anniversary. At the gala, the USO will recognize a special volunteer as well as honorees selected by the senior enlisted representatives from each branch of the Armed Forces for their extraordinary bravery, loyalty and heroism.

Among the estimated 1,000 guests will be Washington dignitaries, members of Congress, military leadership, celebrities, members of the USO Board of Governors, USO corporate sponsors and the media.

About the USO: The USO (United Service Organizations) lifts the spirits of America’s troops and their families millions of times each year at hundreds of places worldwide. We provide a touch of home through centers at airports and military bases, top-quality entertainment and innovative programs and services. We also provide critical support to those who need us most, including forward-deployed troops and their families, wounded warriors and their families and the families of the fallen.

The USO is a private, non-profit organization, not a government agency. We rely on the generosity of our volunteers and donors. In addition to individual donors and corporate sponsors, the USO is supported by Worldwide Strategic Partners: American Airlines, AT&T Inc., BAE Systems, The Boeing Company, Clear Channel Communications, The Coca-Cola Company, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corp., Procter & Gamble and TriWest Healthcare Alliance. We are also supported through the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381). To join us in this patriotic mission and to learn more about the USO, please visit http://www.uso.org.

About Huntington Ingalls

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) designs, builds and maintains nuclear and non-nuclear ships for the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard and provides after-market services for military ships around the globe. For more than a century, HII has built more ships in more ship classes than any other U.S. naval shipbuilder. Employing more than 37,000 in Virginia, Mississippi, Louisiana and California, its primary business divisions are Newport News Shipbuilding and Ingalls Shipbuilding. For more information, visit: