Reston, VA – July 4, 2023

I want to wish everyone a Happy 4th of July before many of you begin an extended weekend and take some time to celebrate with family and friends. I also want to extend my continued appreciation to you and your families for your dedicated, unwavering service to our customers’ national security missions.

As we approach the annual weekend celebration of our nation’s independence, we reflect on the efforts of our forefathers to create a nation free from British rule. On July 2, 1776, the Second Continental Congress declared its freedom from Great Britain in a unanimous vote and created its Declaration of Independence document on July 4, 1776, officially severing its affiliation with Great Britain. The signers of the Declaration of Independence did so at great peril to themselves, and their courage is something we celebrate each July. At the same time, we celebrate the many brave citizens who fought for an ambitious, aspirational, and radically new form of government in the American Revolution that followed.

The first-ever Fourth of July celebration was a spontaneous celebration that took place in Philadelphia, in 1777, one year after the Declaration of Independence was signed. People set off fireworks, built bonfires, lit candles in their windows and lined the avenues with joyful shouts. Although the first observances took place in the states, Independence Day became a national holiday later in 1870. Today, we continue to celebrate this significant day in our history with barbecues, fireworks, and our classic red-white-and-blues. A time for togetherness with family, friends, and neighbors, we also reflect on the history of America’s Independence Day and the sacrifices from our Veterans and Armed Forces that brought us to the present day. “Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth” – George Washington

I wish you and your loved ones a happy, safe, relaxing, and patriotic 247th Independence Day.

Bill

William Schaefer
CEO & President