JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. –
The new executive director of the U.S. Army Center of Military History, Charles R. Bowery, Jr., toured the U.S. Army Transportation Museum at Fort Eustis, Virginia, Jan. 27, 2016.
The visit was part of Browery's tour to visit all 57 active component U.S. Army museums across the world following his appointment.
For Bowery, visiting the museums to ensure they are meeting the CMH's goals of training Soldiers and Civilians and educating the public about the Army's contributions to society holds a great resonance on a personal level.
"My dad brought me to the Transportation Museum when I was 7 years old," he said. "This was the first exposure I had to the Army, and it started me on the path to where I am today. I served on active duty for 23 years before retiring and taking this job. In my eyes, the museum spoke to me, and I think the museum speaks to everyone who visits it."
By evaluating and inspecting the programs, displays and maintenance of the museum, Bowery met with the museum staff to discuss improvements that would aid in the museum's mission.
"Keeping museums operational has a dual purpose," said Bowery. "Museums like this one are a tremendous teaching tool. They allow Soldiers and Civilians to come and touch the past to learn about the historical heritage of their Army while gaining perspective on their current missions."
By being able to "touch the past," Soldiers are essentially able to quickly learn as they study parts of history, and see that the challenges they may face on a day-to-day basis as members of the operational Army, are not new, he explained.
For Bowery, by using all aspects of learning, such as tactile, visual, auditory and written, the museum helps everyone from active duty Service members to children of all ages learn the unique history of Army Transportation.
The museum also holds special events highlighting the heritage of the Transportation Corps, inspiring current members of the branch.
"For example, by holding the transportation regimental events in the regimental room, the transportation museum is exhibiting esprit de corps," said Bowery. "These events help Transportation Soldiers gain a sense of belonging to a profession."
While the museum supports Soldiers, to Bowery, it also connects the Army to the American public. With many people coming onto the post to solely visit the museum, this entity is vital in explaining the mission of the Army to the American citizen, he said.
Bowery hopes the museum helps the public understand that museums are a part of a larger Army historical program, helps them better understand the role of the Army in a democratic society and helps train more capable and effective Soldiers and units.