The 8
th Air Force Museum at Barksdale AFB, La., is now called the Barksdale Global Power Museum after a rededication ceremony on Oct. 2. The new name is part of the museum’s rebranding to broaden its scope. “The decision to rebrand was a wise one,” said Col. Andrew Gebara, 2nd Bomb Wing commander, reported the Shreveport Times. He added, “The Barksdale Global Power Museum will be able to concentrate on aspects of the global power mission that people associate with Barksdale.” In addition to being the home of the nuclear-capable B-52 wing, Barksdale is the seat of Air Force Global Strike Command, which oversees all of the services’ nuclear-capable bombers and ICBMs. Terri Snook, 8th AF Museum Association president, said he wants to see the museum serve as “an education source” for children and adults on the Air Force, its mission, and “the things that have happened in the past,” according to the newspaper. The museum, founded in the late 1970s, is one of 12 Air Force field museums. Currently, it has 28 aircraft and 120 displays, and attracts some 50,000 visitors annually. (Includes Barksdale photo caption by SrA. Micaiah Anthony)
A provision in the fiscal 2025 defense policy bill will require the Defense Department to include the military occupational specialty of service members who die by suicide in its annual report on suicide deaths, though it remains to be seen how much data the department will actually disclose.