(Tribune News Service) — A new temporary exhibit at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force is highlighting technical, military and social milestones in Air Force history, as the service approaches its official 75th birthday on Sept. 18 this year.

In a sense, the entire museum testifies to 75 years and more of American air power, stretching all the way back to the 1907 formation of the Aeronautical Division of the U.S. Army Signal Corps.

But this new exhibit examines social progress and other milestones, highlighting (among many others) former Tuskegee Airman Daniel "Chappie James Jr., who became the first Black American to attain the rank of four-star general, and Technical Sgt. Leonard Matlovich, who in the mid-1970s became the first active-duty Airman to publicly declare his homosexuality.

There is also an examination of how the Air Force incorporated the microchip into its electronics, the creation of the Space Force, the first military airplane (purchased from the Wright Brothers in 1909) and more.

"It's a little bit of a different flavor than what we usually do," said Doug Lantry, museum historian. "It's not focused on combat achievements or war. It's focused on innovation and growth and inclusion and all the remarkable things that the Air Force has achieved technologically and culturally over more than seven decades of tremendous growth."

Deployed as well are six videos and 30 photos, with exhibits on the oxygen mask, LASERs and the Global Positioning System (GPS).

The museum has nearly 400 aerospace vehicles across four hangars, as well as outdoor exhibits.

"Plan to spend a day or two, wear comfortable shoes, because it's a long walk," Lantry advised.

This free exhibit will be on display in the museum's Cold War Art Gallery through September.

The entrance to the museum is on Springfield Street at Gate 28B, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

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