News 6 Report: Volunteers Needed for Army Museum
The National Museum of the United States Army is actively seeking volunteers.
The National Museum of the United States Army will be opening mid-2020 as a joint effort between the U.S. Army and a nonprofit organization The Army Historical Foundation. The museum will celebrate more than 240 years of Army history and honor.
Ideal volunteers include those who are passionate about the U.S. Army and sharing the stories of more than 30 million men and women who have worn the uniform throughout our nation’s history. Specific volunteer needs include visitor services, special events, tours, education, gardening, and administration. More details can be found by clicking here. This is a great opportunity for those local to Fort Belvoir to get involved with the museum at the ground floor.
According to the website, the museum will share the Army’s history and honor our nation’s soldiers, past, present, and future. It’s inclusive and will include the traditional Army, the Army Reserve, and the Army National Guard.
Thenmusa.org states, “The National Army Museum will provide the only comprehensive portrayal of Army history and traditions. The museum also will offer educational experiences to illustrate the Army’s role in building and defending our nation, as well as humanitarian missions, public contributions, and technological and medical breakthroughs.”
The museum is currently under construction at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, on an 84-acre site south of the nation’s capital in the Potomac River Valley. The building itself will be 185,000 square feet.
The Army Historical Foundation website states that the museum will be, “a major exhibition facility where the soldiers’ stories will be joined with the thousands of artifacts, documents, and images tracing the storied history of the United States Army, from colonial times to today. A series of chronological and thematic galleries will show visitors what it means to be a soldier in times of both war and peace. The three main galleries will be Soldier Stories, Fighting for the Nation, and Army and Society.”
The website also shares that themes of “Service and Sacrifice” will be tied throughout the museum.
Inside, the museum will feature full scale artifacts, interactive exhibits, a theater, a children’s educational area, and more.
In the Experiential Learning Center, schools can bring their students to explore how the Army utilizes concepts in geography, science, technology, engineering, and math. Students will be brought through a training area where they will be trained at various stations to assist the Army in a rescue mission called Operation Safe Passage.
The training stations will include interactive exhibits, including boarding a Blackhawk helicopter, where visitors can learn from a virtual Transportation Officer; climbing across a bridge, where they will discover how to choose the correct bridge and ensure structural integrity; visiting a medic tent; and exploring a SATCOM truck, where a virtual intelligence analyst shows students how they collect intelligence information.
After training, students will complete a mission and even brief an after-action report! There’s also a hands-on learning exhibit for younger children.
In addition to the interior galleries, the museum will feature a Medal of Honor Garden. The Garden is designed to memorialize Medal of Honor recipients, offer a space for quiet reflection, and incorporate symbolic references to the characteristics that Medal of Honor recipients display: valor, gallantry, and intrepidity.
Outside, visitors can learn Army survival tactics as they explore an interactive trail. An amphitheater and parade route are also planned on the museum campus.
In addition to showcasing the U.S. Army’s history and honoring its soldiers, the museum will also be used as a gathering place. Many of the spaces can be transformed to host events and meetings.
