AMERICAN AIRPOWER HERITAGE MUSEUM
EARNS REACCREDITATION

Midland, Texas (Nov. 22, 2005) - The American Airpower Heritage Museum, located at Commemorative Air Force headquarters in Midland, Texas, has again achieved the highest recognition for a museum - accreditation by the American Association of Museums (AAM). Initially accredited in 1997, the museum must undergo a subsequent review at least every 10 years to maintain accredited status.

AAM accreditation signifies excellence within the museum community. It is a seal of approval that helps museums better serve the public and improve the overall quality of their programs and operations. Accreditation promotes the best practices in museums and the strictest accountability to the public that museums serve.

Of the nation's nearly 16,000 museums, only about 750 are currently accredited. It is a rigorous process that examines all aspects of a museum's operations. Subsequent accreditation is equally as thorough, as museums go through the same process while keeping pace with the evolving high standards of the museum field. The American Airpower Heritage Museum is one of only 39 museums accredited in Texas and one of only three in the Permian Basin , all located in the Midland-Odessa area.

"The Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Ghost Squadron has set the standard for warbird demonstrations for almost 50 years now," said Museum Director Tami O'Bannion. "Nobody tells the story of World War II airpower better than the CAF, and the AAHM, born in 1989, aspires to attain that same level of excellence. AAM accreditation is confirmation that we have done just that.

"This is such an exciting time to work for a patriotic organization that promotes the cause of freedom," said O'Bannion.

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