The National Guard Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., is scheduled to shut down on Oct. 8 for several weeks of renovation that will lead to the planned opening of the museum’s 9/11 Era Gallery on Nov. 1. The new 780-square-foot gallery will detail the Guard’s service since 9/11 and present the story of the Guard’s transition from a strategic reserve to an operational force over that span, states an Oct. 4 release from the National Guard Educational Foundation. The gallery will include a memorial wall displaying the names of Guardsmen killed in the war on terror, states the release. It will also feature artifacts from domestic missions and pieces of steel from the World Trade Center towers, along with uniforms worn by Guardsmen who have served in Southwest Asia and protected the US homeland over the past decade. Museum officials plan to officially dedicate the gallery on Nov. 17.
Airmen basic rarely go on to become four-star generals, but one who did retired last week after a 42 year career that saw him rise from a lowly slick-sleeve to the head of one of the Air Force’s most important major commands.