Boeing

Will Trafton, vice president and general manager, Boeing Expendable Launch Systems, responded today to reports of a U.S. Air Force inquiry and investigation by the U.S. Attorney's office into the Boeing Delta IV program. Trafton said, "Unethical behavior of any form is not tolerated at Boeing. And the hard work and dedication of the Boeing Delta team shouldn't be discredited by the actions of a few individuals."

The full text of Trafton's statement: "The integrity of our nation's defense contractors is of the utmost importance to our men and women in uniform and the American taxpayer. That is why the current inquiry by the U.S. Air Force and investigation by the U.S. Attorney's office are profoundly important to us.

"We fully understand the significance of this investigation and the underlying issues. Unethical behavior of any form is not tolerated at Boeing. As soon as we became aware of the actions of three of our employees during the Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle competition, we took immediate action including suspending, and then terminating the employment of two individuals. The hard work and dedication of the rest of the Boeing Delta team should not be discredited or tainted by the actions of these individuals.

"As a management team, we are dedicated to fostering an environment where ethical behavior is rewarded. Boeing undertakes extensive ethics training for all employees so that everyone understands that no matter how determined you are to win a contract, integrity and compliance with all ethical requirements are the foundation of everything we do. Anything less is entirely unacceptable at Boeing."