ARINC Incorporated today announced it will be the official base camp sponsor of the second expedition of “Soldiers to Summits” when it ascends Mt. Cotopaxi in Ecuador this December.

 

Soldiers to Summits was founded by Erik Weihenmayer to help wounded warriors of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars face their own arduous recoveries and inform our citizens about the challenges faced by soldiers who return home after devastating injuries. Erik Weihenmayer, is the first blind person to reach the summit of Mount Everest and the only blind person to have ascended all seven summits.

 

“For the first climb in May of 2010, we led 11 severely disabled soldiers to the summit of Mt. Lobuche, a 20,100 foot mountain in Nepal,” states Weihenmayer. “The climb was possible due to the mentoring component that built on the camaraderie and support systems veterans retain from their military experiences.”

 

That climb became the subject of a documentary film, High Ground, by Emmy Award-winning director Michael Brown. The film is scheduled to premiere on Feb. 18 at the Boulder International Film Festival. ARINC

 

“ARINC has performed work for all branches of the U.S. Department of Defense for decades, and we greatly appreciate the sacrifices our military make every day,” said ARINC's Chairman and CEO John M. Belcher. “Over one quarter of ARINC’s employees are former military, and it is an honor to demonstrate our corporate social responsibility by sponsoring Soldiers to Summits for this significant climb.”

 

Preparations for the December 2012 climb of 19,350 foot Mount Cotopaxi have begun. An initial training session is scheduled for July, and a second in October. The summit of Mount Cotopaxi lies above 19,300 feet, making it one of the highest active volcanoes in the world.

 

Soldiers to Summits strengthens the rehabilitation process for wounded warriors and helps them prepare for the future. More information is available at the web site www.soldierstosummits.org, and more information about Erik Weihenmayer can be found at www.touchthetop.com.

 

ARINC Incorporated, a portfolio company of The Carlyle Group, provides communications, engineering and integration solutions for commercial, defense and government customers worldwide. Headquartered in Annapolis, MD with regional headquarters in London and Singapore, ARINC is ISO 9001:2008 certified.