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Base helps celebrate grand opening of museum

POPE AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. (USTCNS) --- A C-130 Hercules aircraft from the 43rd Airlift Wing here was scheduled to perform a flyover during the grand opening celebration of the Airborne and Special Operations Museum this week in downtown Fayetteville.

Aug. 16 is a day proclaimed by the President as National Airborne Day. It marks the 60th anniversary of the first jump by the U.S. Army Parachute Test Platoon.

Located at 100 Bragg Boulevard, the world-class museum plans a first-class opening celebration with a dedication speech by Gen. Henry H. Shelton, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Joining Shelton will be H. Ross Perot, and representatives from federal, state, county and city governments, Pope Air Force Base, N.C., and Fort Bragg.

The 82nd Airborne Division's band will play preceding the opening ceremony. The ceremony will open with a parachute jump by the Army Parachute Demonstration Team, the Golden Knights. While "God Bless the USA" is playing, they will land in the circle located in front of the main entrance of the museum, present a baton, and deliver a Proclamation from President Clinton.

Flyovers by the Pope C-130 and Charleston AFB, S.C., C-17 are scheduled to take place during the National Anthem.

Speeches by Shelton and Perot will be followed by the traditional ribbon cutting and dedication plaque unveiling, officially opening the museum to the public.

The museum boasts state-of-the-art technology and the opportunity to explore the history of the U.S. Army's airborne and special operations, featuring dramatic, life-size, imaginative exhibits, and interactive displays. Visitors not only see history, they hear, feel and imagine the fear and victory experienced by America's airborne and special operations soldiers.

Fort Bragg is home to the nation's strategic reaction and special operations forces, units with worldwide missions in areas such as the Balkans, Africa and South America. All of these soldiers are capable of jumping into battle, anywhere, at any time.

Fort Bragg became the home of the airborne in 1942 when Airborne Command was set up under General William C. Lee. Today, Fort Bragg is the home of the XVIIIth Airborne Corps, the 82nd Airborne Division, the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, the JFK Special Warfare Center and School, the 3rd and 7th Special Forces Groups, the 1st Corps Command Support Command, the 4th Psychological Operations Group and a host of other units. Pope provides the "air" in Fort Bragg's airborne units.

Together, they total about 42,000 active duty personnel, the largest base population in the world. Adding the bases' civilian work forces, family members and retirees, a population of more than 252,000 is added to the Fayetteville area.

The museum is part of the U.S. Army Museum System and is the Army's most modern museum. For more information, visit the Web site at www.asmof.org. (FROM AIR MOBILITY COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS).

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