US Park Police officials have agreed to resume escorts for Honor Flight events in the nation’s capital, continuing a tradition that had been interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.

The news came just a day before the band’s celebration on the National Mall of the 250,000th veteran transported through the program. Since 2005, officials have helped veterans from across the country travel to Washington, DC, for the opportunity to visit war memorials and national monuments.

In many cases, the veterans are elderly and in poor health and can only make the trip because of the special medical and financial assistance provided by the group.

In the past, the United States Park Police provided escorts to tour buses filled with veterans visiting areas of the National Mall with limited parking, such as the World War II Memorial and the War Memorial Wall from Vietnam. Honor Flight officials reimbursed the agency for the escort costs.

Honor Flight’s operations were largely shut down by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, but resumed last fall. However, Park Police officials have told organizers in recent months that they can no longer participate in the events due to bureaucratic problems with the Interior Ministry.

On Monday, officials said those issues had been resolved. Escorts will resume from June 1st.

In a joint statement, officials from the Park Police, the National Mall and Memorial Parks agency and Honor Flight said they had met in recent weeks “to discuss our shared commitment to continue working together. and how best to safely support hosted visits while ensuring the USPP can fulfill its primary mission of law enforcement and public safety.

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Federal officials said that before the pandemic, providing escorts had become “increasingly difficult” due to the large number of events the group held.

“Historically, the USPP has also escorted groups to and from the three area airports using emergency lights and sirens to expedite movement in congested traffic, a practice which is now recognized as inappropriate in situations non-emergency and inconsistent with modern law enforcement best practices,” the joint statement read.

Under a new arrangement, park rangers and park police officers will greet veterans at a select memorial, assist with parking and visitor entry, and provide ranger-led programs on the website.

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In some cases, federal agencies will also provide an escort from the Lincoln Memorial to Arlington National Cemetery.

At its peak, the group operated up to 300 flights a year to the capital from sites across the country.

In a separate statement, Honor Flight Network CEO Meredith Rosenbeck said organizers are “grateful for the renewed commitment of support from the National Parks Service and the USPP to keep our veterans safe during this visit of a lifetime”.

Tuesday’s event marking the 250,000th visitor will take place at the World War II Memorial and is expected to feature many dignitaries, including former Senator Elizabeth Dole (as chair of the celebration); Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs Donald Remy; House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Mark Takano, D-California; and Jerry Moran, R-Kan, member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee.