Former astronaut John Young addressed the winners and their guests, and presented the award to each of the 133 winners, along with Harry Stonecipher, president and chief executive officer of McDonnell Douglas.

"It is with great honor that we pay tribute to these employee, supplier and customer teammates who have worked side by side toward achievement of our vision of one company with an aerospace focus," said Stonecipher. "People are the key to our success, and these dedicated individuals have helped to ensure our status as a leader in the aerospace industry."

The Spirit of Excellence Award was established in 1989 to recognize company employees and suppliers who display initiative and innovation, and who are dedicated to quality, cost reduction and customer satisfaction.

In recognition of their extraordinary achievements, the winners were presented with a crystal award and a cash gift.

Among this year's winners from the McDonnell Douglas Aerospace division in St. Louis were the F/A-18E/F Airframe and Engine Handling Qualities Team, the Tactical Aircraft Moving Map Capability Team, and the General Pattern Match - Automatic Target Recognition Flight Test Team. Winners from the Military Transport Aircraft division in Long Beach, Calif., included the C-17 Wing Center Spar Team, and the C-17 Main Landing Gear Pod Redesign Team, made up of teammates from Long Beach and St. Louis. Douglas Aircraft Co., also of Long Beach, had two winning teams -- the Tube Bending Team and the Ballast Fire Safety Team.