FORT EUSTIS, Va. –
The well-rounded soldier uses history as a tool for understanding military operations. These lessons can be learned by visiting any Army museum, places that play a critical role in the training and development of soldiers. The museums are much more than warehouses -- they are active, vibrant institutions with a unique mission, striving to equip their employees with the skills needed to promote and preserve Army heritage for the benefit of today's military.
For nearly 40 years, the U.S. Army Center of Military History has sponsored an annual training conference for military museum professionals. This year, the U.S. Army Transportation Museum at Fort Eustis was honored to be selected as the host institution. From June 6-11, more than 120 representatives gathered for a week of educational sessions, professional development and networking.
Attendees included members of the Army Museum System as well as staff members from the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, Va., and several public and private institutions. At a time when the Base Realignment and Closure Act is affecting all aspects of Army culture, this year's theme was appropriately named "Continuity and Change: Army Museums Leading the Way in the 21st Century." Several Army museums have been affected by BRAC, including the U.S. Army Ordnance Museum, the former Patton Museum of Cavalry & Armor, and the Casemate Museum at Fort Monroe, Va.
While at Fort Eustis, attendees received a behind-the-scenes tour of the U.S. Army Transportation Museum. All exhibits at the museum are constructed in-house by civilian service employees, a unique distinction in the Army Museum System. The six-person staff had worked diligently to update exhibits on the Civil War, Spanish-American War and Afghanistan. The newest exhibit on the 1919 Transcontinental Motor Convoy was also a major attraction. In addition, the museum showcased the recently completed 16,500-square-foot Vehicle Pavilion which offers lighted, covered space to protect macro artifacts from the elements.
Throughout the week, representatives visited a number of museums in the area and attended breakout sessions such as "Working with Archaeologists on Military Installations" and "Collecting in Current Operations," which taught the importance of collecting artifacts and oral histories from soldiers in Iraq & Afghanistan. David Hanselman, director of the U.S. Army Transportation Museum and a major in the U.S. Army Reserve, conducts frequent collecting missions and recently served as the Joint Task Force-Haiti historian.
The Army maintains 59 museums and 176 other historical holdings throughout the United States, Germany and Korea. These institutions care for nearly 15,000 works of military art and more than 500,000 artifacts. Army museum professionals serve their country not on the battlefield, but by acting as stewards and interpreters of Army history and public image.
Above all, Army museums exist to instill a sense of pride in soldiers and to assure them that their accomplishments and sacrifices will not be forgotten by future generations.
Editor's note: Special thanks to the Army Transportation Museum Foundation, the U.S. Army Center of Military History, the Casemate Museum, Fort Eustis Club, Brig. Gen. Layer, Col. Georgi and members of the 508th Trans. Co. for all of their hard work in preparation for the conference.