Georgia Museum of Aviation Opens GEAR Lab 

The Museum of Aviation Foundation in Georgia finished a brand new GEAR lab, giving local students the chance to study Georgia engineering, AI and robotics. The center will help prepare the engineering workforce of the future. 

“This is more than a classroom,” said Dan Rhoades, Museum Foundation president. “The GEAR Lab is a place where innovation, education, and community come together to inspire the next generation while also helping today’s workforce adapt and grow in an increasingly technology-driven world.” 

 Oregon National Guard Honored with Environmental Award for Owl Conservation Efforts 

The Rees Training Center in Oregon received the 2026 Secretary of the Army Environmental Award in the Natural Resources Conservation category for their work to preserve the Western Burrowing Owl population across the installation’s 7,500 acres. The conservation team at Rees partnered with the local Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation to increase the population from four to 80 nesting pairs, according to a National Guard report. 

Photo courtesy of Museum of Aviation Foundation