courtesy photo The new USO airport lounge at Reagan National Airport offers travelers a break from normal pre-flight entertainment.

The USO of Metropolitan Washington opened a new airport lounge at Reagan National Airport on May 8. The lounge is equipped with wireless internet access, free domestic and international phones, a fully stocked snack bar, lounge⁄massage chairs, a widescreen high-definition television and a library of current movies on DVD.

Elaine Rogers, president of USO-Metro, said in a press release, ‘‘Offering these free services gives us a chance to say ‘thank you’ to those who sacrifice so much for our country.”

Pam Horton, the airport services specialist at the Reagan Airport lounge, explained that the amenities have expanded a lot in the new lounge. Snacks ranging from granola bars and cookies to microwaveable pasta and soup are available for free, as are soft drinks.

‘‘Our new massage chairs are awesome,” she said. ‘‘They’re very popular.”

Jessica Vastyan, an account executive from public relations firm Advice Unlimited, said that the new lounge is more spacious and offers newer, better equipment than the previous lounge. The new lounge is in a much better location, too.

‘‘[The old lounge] was nowhere near regular foot traffic,” she said. The new lounge is located in Terminal A, near the pick-up area and lost-and-found on the lower level. ‘‘And now it can accommodate more people.”

Vastyan explained that the lounge is all-new, not just the same furniture in a different room. The snack bar also includes a small ‘‘kitchen area,” she said. One hundred percent of the cost to build the lounge came from corporate donations.

As well as the expansion of services available, the hours have increased as well. The lounge is now open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. As a result of the expanded service, usage of the lounge has doubled, according to USO communications manager Nichole Causey.

USO airport lounges offer traveling service members and their families a ‘‘home away from home.” Active duty military personnel, reserve components and merchant marines can take advantage of these amenities in the D.C. area at Dulles and BWI airports as well.