Program Offers Museum Visits to Service Members, Families
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05/26/2015 04:21 PM CDT
Program Offers Museum Visits to Service Members, Families
By Shannon Collins
DoD News, Defense Media Activity
WASHINGTON, May 26, 2015 - From Memorial Day through Labor Day, service members
and their families can visit more than 2,000 museums in all 50 states, Puerto
Rico and American Samoa courtesy of collaboration among the Blue Star Museums,
the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families and the Defense
Department.
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Army Lt. Col. Paula Smith, health director for Soldier for Life, D.C., and her
daughter, Ava, 12, listen as a curator for the Phillips Collection describes
Vincent van Gogh's "The Road Menders" during a Blue Star Museum event at the
Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C., May 20, 2015. DoD photo by Shannon
Collins
(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image
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g==&&&102&&&http://www.defense.gov/dodcmsshare/newsstoryphoto/2015-05/hrs_150520
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At the Phillips Collection art museum here May 20, the kickoff of the sixth year
of the Blue Star Museums featured the presentation of the colors by the St.
John's College High School Junior ROTC, remarks by leadership and a tour of the
collection for military families.
Ellyn Dunford, wife of Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., commandant of the Marine
Corps, hosted the first Blue Star Museums event in San Diego six years ago. She
said visiting museums can have long-range affects.
"Museums celebrate tolerance and freedom, teach respect for cultural
differences, facilitate a sense of individual and collective identity and power
through knowledge, nurture and understanding of our connections to the world and
each other," she said. "Military families spread messages throughout the world
as they change duty stations as they move, and they eventually leave the
military and go back to our communities and bring with them that wealth of
knowledge and experience."
Something for Everyone
Jane Chu, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, said the Blue Star
Museums program has something for everyone.
"Parents of young children tell us that they go to museums to learn new things
and have family time together," she said. "Blue Star Museums helps them do both;
by helping military families learn about the cultural resources in their
communities and offering a fun, high-quality experience that's budget friendly,
as well as family friendly. We're proud to help connect museums to military
communities nationwide."
Military Families
For Blue Star Families CEO Kathy Roth-Douquet, wife of retired Marine Corps Col.
Greg Douquet, the Blue Star Museums program holds a special place in her heart.
"In 2010, when this program began, we had gotten a one week's notice that my
husband was going to go to Afghanistan for a year, so he packed his bag, shaved
his head and went off. It was a tough year for all of us," she said.
"Museum-going enhances resilience. It's a nice, free activity in a beautiful
setting that uplifts you, and you're also being told you're important. When you
go to into the museum, the folks behind the counter say, 'We're so glad you're
here. Welcome, this is yours for the summer. It's free because we appreciate
what you do.'"
Douquet said she and her children -- Sophie, 17, and Charley, 13 -- have been to
27 Blue Star Museums and plan to visit more with her husband.
A Welcome Break
For Patricia Ochan, taking a tour of the Phillips Collection is a welcome break
from doctors' appointments. She is the wife of Marine Corps Sgt. Jimmy Ochan,
who is with the chemical and biological incident response force unit out of
Indian Head, Maryland.
"This program is a great way for families to come out and spend time together,"
she said. "We spend a lot of time in the hospital for my husband's doctor's
appointments, so for us to be able to come out here is a huge break. We get to
spend more time with our son and show him things. When he grows up and looks
back, he'll be happy and respect the fact his dad exposed him to these good
things."
During his three deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, Ochan suffered
post-traumatic stress and injuries from an improvised explosive device blast.
The Program
The free admission program is available to any bearer of a Geneva Convention
common access card, a DD Form 1173 ID card (dependent ID), or a DD Form 1173-1
ID card, which includes active duty U.S. military, National Guard, reserve, U.S.
Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and up to five family members.
Some special or limited-time museum exhibits may not be included in this free
admission program. For questions on particular exhibits or museums, contact the
museum directly. To find participating museums and plan a trip, visit the Blue
Star Museums website, arts.gov/bluestarmuseums
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Related Sites:
Blue Star Museums
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