AAR celebrates Veterans Day with U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth and Veteran of the Year Nicholas Gross

From left: AAR’s John M. Holmes presents U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth a personalized engine fan blade as a token of
appreciation, and AAR’s Nicholas Gross receives 2025 Veteran of the Year award on November 11, 2025.

Wood Dale, Illinois — AAR CORP., a leading provider of aviation services to commercial and government operators, MROs, and OEMs, welcomed U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth to the Company’s headquarters for a Veterans Day celebration and recognized Nicholas Gross, AAR’s Senior Vice President of Integrated Solutions – Government and a U.S. Air Force veteran, who was named 2025 Veteran of the Year by Illinois Joining Forces. 

U.S. Senator Duckworth is an Iraq War Veteran, Purple Heart recipient, and former Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. She was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016 after representing Illinois’ Eighth Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives for two terms.

To kick off the celebration, Senator Duckworth participated in a meet and greet with a group of veterans who work at the Company’s headquarters. The Senator also connected with the broader AAR workforce during a special Veterans Day chat with John Holmes, AAR’s Chairman, President and CEO. Senator Duckworth shared her military and political experiences, including her leadership of veteran-focused efforts.

“Senator Duckworth bravely served our Nation and continues to advocate for our Country’s heroes. We are honored to celebrate Veterans Day with her,” said Holmes. 

He continued, “Veterans are an important part of AAR’s culture and enhance our efforts to support the warfighter across the globe. We congratulate Nick on being named 2025 Veteran of the Year.”

Gross leads AAR’s government business and serves as an executive sponsor of the Company’s Veteran Resource Group. At 17-years old, Gross enlisted in the U.S. Air Force to continue the legacy of family members who served across multiple conflicts. Since transitioning from the military, Gross has upheld the mission, even out of uniform, supporting military customers in each of his corporate roles.

Today, Illinois Joining Forces, a nonprofit organization founded to provide service members, veterans, and their families with a gateway to connect and navigate the services and resources they need, recognized Gross’s contributions to the veteran community, awarding him their 2025 Veteran of the Year honor.

In his acceptance speech, Gross shared, “Most transitioning veterans know it can be difficult to translate the skills learned in the military to a standard corporate job description. Fortunately, at every step along my career path, a leader saw something in me that I had not seen in myself. It has been my mission to try to offer others that same level of opportunity. I am proud of the fact that within the group that I have the privilege to lead at AAR, roughly 45% are veterans.”

For more information about a career with AAR as a military veteran, visit aarcorp.com/en/careers/working-at-aar/military-veterans/.

About AAR
AAR is a global aerospace and defense aftermarket solutions company with operations in over 20 countries. Headquartered in the Chicago area, AAR supports commercial and government customers through four operating segments: Parts Supply, Repair & Engineering, Integrated Solutions, and Expeditionary Services. Additional information can be found at aarcorp.com.