At Rockwell Collins, we have a Vision designed to enable our company to win in tomorrow's marketplace – working together creating the most trusted source of communication and aviation electronic solutions.

Inherent in that Vision is a set of Values that make our company great: Teamwork, Innovation, Integrity, Customer Focus, and Leadership. These values describe how we work, what we believe, and what we think is important.

The people of Rockwell Collins strive daily to bring our Vision and Values to life. But one of the most extraordinary examples of how effective we can be when we work together came in the days following historic flooding in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

As the world watched Iowa's second largest city succumb to the muddy waters of an otherwise calm river, our people were determined to help.

Some of you made financial donations; others cashed in valuable vacation time; and still others volunteered to help friends and neighbors begin putting their lives back together. In many cases, you assisted complete strangers.

In this issue of Horizons, you will learn about how this historic event changed the lives of two of our employees – JoEllen Hovind and Brian Stevens. You also will read about how our company and our people pulled together to help clean up Cedar Rapids and other nearby communities.

Our company and our people have made a very big difference in thousands of people's lives. Tremendous progress has been made, but it will take years to recover from a disaster of this magnitude.

In this case, Mother Nature wreaked havoc on Iowa. Who knows where she will leave her mark the next time? It could be in any one of the locations we have around the world.

And, when that time comes, I'm confident our people will once again step up and do the right thing — a trait bred into our company's culture.