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To thank military personnel for their service to the United States, service members and their families can get into any national park for free beginning May 19 (Armed Forced Day) with a new national parks pass.
The new pass program was unveiled May 15.
An annual pass usually costs $80. The pass provides entrance to more than 2,000 national parks, wildlife refuges and other public lands.
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The plan was announced during a ceremony at Colonial National Historical Park in Yorktown, Va., where Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, director of the National Park Service Jonathan B. Jarvis and assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) Jo-Ellen Darcy handed the first passes to one member from each of the military’s five branches.
“Our nation owes a debt of gratitude to our servicemen and women who make great sacrifices and put their lives on the line to protect our country and preserve our freedom,” Salazar said. “In recognition of their contributions and service, we are putting out a welcome mat for these brave men and women and their families at America’s most beautiful and storied sites.”
The National Park Service estimated that giving away the annual passes to service members and their families will cost between $2 million and $6 million in lost revenue a year. The government usually collects about $150 million in annual park fees nationwide.
The free pass will be made available for activated members of the National Guard and Reserves but not for military veterans or retirees.
Led by first lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, the Obama administration has been pushing for help for returning military members and their families, offering an array of services including job programs. The initiative is called Joining Forces.
“First lady Michelle Obama and I started the Joining Forces initiative last year as a way to honor, recognize and support our veterans and military families,” Jill Biden said in a prepared statement. “This effort is a wonderful way to give something back, giving our military men and women and their families a chance to reconnect with their loved ones, experience the beauty of this country and simply have a little fun.”
Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Jo-Ellen Darcy, right, hands over a free annual pass to Marine Sgt. Ronnie Reyes, with Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, center, during a ceremony May 15, 2012 at the Yorktown Victory Monument at the Colonial National Historical Park in York County, Va. Photo by AP Photo/The Daily Press, Sangjib Min