More than 600 museums across all 50 United States are offering free admission to US military personnel and their families from Memorial Day (May 31) through Labor Day (Sept. 6) to show their appreciation of those serving in uniform. The National Endowment for the Arts is making this possible in partnership with the Blue Star Families organization and the museums. The free admission program is available to active duty military of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and active duty Reserve and active duty National Guard and their immediate family members, according to NEA’s announcement. For an interactive map of the participating museums, and for details on the identification required and potential exclusions, go to NEA’s Blue Star Museums Web page.
After years of experiments and tests, senior Air Force leaders say they're on the verge of using C-17s and other cargo aircraft to launch cruise missiles via airdrop, touting the development as a way to bolster the combat fleet and a major shift in the service’s mindset.